Just One Kiss
by Coolio101
Summary: Ever since his girlfriend Marie dumped him and moved away,Edward has boosted his ego by proving he could seduce any girl he wanted-that is, until he meets the elusive Bella Swan. She seems so familiar, but he can't figure out why...FULL SUMMARY INSIDE! AH
1. The Bad, No Sucky Beginning

**A/N: If you're reading this, please take the time to check out my other story Spy High! Please read and REVIEW!!!! Summary: Ever since his geeky girlfriend Marie dumped him and moved away, Edward Cullen has tried to boost his ego by proving he could seduce any woman he wanted-that is, until he meets Bella Swan. There's something about her that seems so familiar, but he can't put his finger on it. Little does he know that Bella is hiding something of her own...and her past may be closer to him that he ever imagined.**

BPOV (At this time, Bella goes by the name Marie)

I watched as my popular 'boyfriend' pulled Tanya to him, and made out with her heavily right there in the middle school parking lot. Tanya caught me staring, and said snidely, "Stop staring, freak. Eddie's mine." I was about to roll my eyes at her, when Edward laughed cruelly, "Don't mind her, Tanya. She's had a crush on me since second grade, the stalker." He turned to me. "Get lost. The only place where I'll ever kiss you is in your dreams." I blinked back the unexpected tears. This was a routine for us ever since Edward and I stared secretly going out. We'd started dating the year my two older brothers left for high school. Edward, as one of the most popular kids of the school, understandably did not want to have his infatuation with the school's geeky bookworm known, so we'd kept our relationship private. Even my family didn't know, seeing as my brothers and dad would probably kill him. To keep his reputation up, Edward had to take on the charade of going out with Tanya, the Queen Bee of the school, since it was expected of him, as well as picking on poor nerdy Marie Swan. Him picking on me never bothered me TOO much before, so why did it now? It was all fake, though lately it'd been growing old. But staring back into my boyfriend's green eyes, I wondered, _Was it?_

"I HATE YOU, EDWARD CULLEN!" I screamed. Wow, where did that come from? But as I said it, I realized it was true. He was too ashamed of me to even acknowledge me in public unless it was to pick on me. As I stared at the shocked boy in front of me, the boy who had been my boyfriend for the past two years, the boy who I had once loved, the boy who had let me down, the boy who I now hated…tears suddenly rolled down my cheeks. I turned and ran straight into the woods across from the school. Even though I didn't turn around, I could hear him running after me. I didn't get too far before he grabbed one of my wrists.

"Marie…what the hell is wrong with you? You know it wasn't real." He glanced nervously at his watch. "Look, you left me in a very awkward position with Tanya, and it's really unfair and selfish of you to be damaging my reputation at this moment because I ran after you…" We'd had this talk many times before. His reputation this, his reputation that. This time though, I snapped. Before he could say another word, I spun around and slapped him across the face with all my might.

"It's over, Edward. OVER, you hear me?" He released me in shock, unmistakable anger building up in his eyes.

"Did you just dump me?" He nearly growled. I rolled my eyes just because I knew it would annoy him. "What part of 'It's over' do you not understand, Cullen?"

"Look," he said, grabbing my shoulders. "_You_ do not dump _me_, understand?" I shook myself free. "Oh, so _I'm_ not allowed to dump _you_, but _you're_ allowed to dump _me_? How sexist can you get, Cullen?" He clenched his fists. "Now see here, Marie, _no one_ dumps Edward Cullen, much less an inconsequential, geeky, nerdy brat." I narrowed my eyes at him. He quickly backed off, realizing he had gone too far. "Marie…I didn't mean…"

"Is that really all I was to you? An 'inconsequential, geeky, nerdy brat'? And don't 'Marie' me!" I shot out, stopping his next words. "I see everything so clearly now, it's a wonder I didn't see it before. I see that I was nothing more to you than a toy, a plaything to come to when you were feeling sad, or bored."

"Marie, you know that's not true," he tried to say, but I cut him off again.

"Edward, I'm tired of being walked over again and again, used, taunted mercilessly by my own boyfriend and having to watch that same boyfriend make out shamelessly with a girl in front of me, all to save his stupid reputation!"

"Marie, LISTEN TO ME!" He roared, then quieted down, looking straight into my eyes with those scorching emerald eyes. That look had always been a free get-out-of-jail-free card with him, and when he pulled that trick on me, I'd always get dizzy, lightheaded, start hyperventilating, and to top it all off, get wobbly knees. This resulted every time in me letting him off the hook. It didn't work this time-I took that as a sign that I really was over him. Instead of remembering the good times when we were alone together, the sensation of his arms around me, it was just another reminder to me of how much I let him get away with. I shoved him away. "Save it, Edward." I said venomously, turning away, but stopped when I heard his next question. "So you regret everything we did together, everything we had?" He asked coldly. I shook my head slowly.

"Edward…what I do regret is that it took me so long to realize that I was always a second priority, that it took me so long to realize how unimportant I was to you, like every other girl was-believe it or not, for the past two years, I deluded myself into thinking I was different, special, set apart from all the girls you cheated on and led on. I regret that it took me two whole years for me to get sick of you always placing your reputation before your girlfriend. But most of all, I regret for not realizing earlier that it was you, my own boyfriend, who had made my life a living hell full of uncertainty, pain, torment and sadness for the last two years. But if there is one thing I don't regret, it's that I never allowed you to kiss me." The last part I added out of pure spite, but it was true. During those two awful, yet wonderful years we had together, I never let him kiss me once, though it was clear he wanted to. It was the one thing he didn't get from me. Maybe I had always known that we both weren't ready, and just maybe, I had known that if I kissed him, I would regret it later. A first kiss was a big deal for me, and now I was eternally grateful I hadn't handed that over to Edward like everything else. I left Edward standing there, walking briskly though the forest back to my house. At least he had the decency to let me go. Inside the house, I was met with a scene of total chaos. My brothers, Emmett and Jasper were throwing things in a suitcase and my very frazzled dad was on the phone.

"What's going on?" I yelled.

"Marie? Are you okay?" Jazz asked, concerned. I cursed my red eyes.

"No, but it's irrelevant. What's going on?" I repeated.

"Uh…Dad got a spontaneous, on-the-spot job offer, and we're moving to Phoenix." Jasper said cautiously, probably expecting me to flip. The total opposite occurred instead. I couldn't stop the wide grin that flashed across my face. No more Edward…moving couldn't have come at a better time.

**A/N Okay, how was it? It's funny…you'll see later that Edward only truly appreciates Marie when she leaves. But he's just an idiot like that. :D PLEASE REVIEW!!!!! Don't forget to check out my other story, Spy High!**


	2. Sailor Swan

**A/N: To all of those who bothered to go read my other story, which one do you like better? The most popular one will be updated next. **

BPOV

"Ma- Bella! Are you ready yet?" Emmett shouted. I sighed. It was two years since we'd moved to Phoenix and my family _still_ thought of me as Marie. Why couldn't they accept that wimpy, used Marie was gone? Because she was. When we'd moved away from Forks and from _him_, I'd changed completely. Until we'd left, I'd never known how much being near Edward had preyed upon my ego. But now, without having him call me 'dog face' and worry about the sincerity of his feelings, I was practically glowing with newfound confidence. My hair recovered its soft sheen and my dull chocolate eyes now shone and sparkled. My pale skin now looked a beautiful ivory rather than a sickly sour milk. I wasn't afraid to speak what I was thinking, and I didn't stutter anymore-the effect of that on my soaring popularity amazed me. My condition sort of reminded me of the song "I Look So Good Without You." In the case of Edward and I, it couldn't be more true.

That wasn't to say I didn't miss him-a little- at first. I did-I missed the way his green eyes looked softly at me, the way he'd comfort and hold me when I was upset…but if you take into consideration everything else he did, Edward Cullen was _so _not worth it.

A tall lanky guy with honey blond hair and laughing blue eyes interrupted my thoughts. Other girls thought of him as charming, HOT, sweet, HOT, intimidating, did I mention HOT?- with movie-star looks. They called him a god. I called him my brother.

"Hey, Jazz," I smiled. My brothers Jasper and Emmett were the best brothers ever, though we looked nothing alike. They were closer to being a fatherly figure to me than Charlie ever was. Charlie could hardly stand to look at any of us, especially Jasper, because we reminded him too much of our deceased mother, Renee. Jasper resembled her most of all, with his blond hair and sky blue eyes. Emmett and I took after Charlie more (we had his brown, wavy hair, and chocolate eyes) but apparently we'd all inherited her pale skin and outgoing, sweet personality. Emmett was 18, Jazz 17, and I was 16, but both Jazz and Em were in their senior year because Jasper, being the know-it-all he is, skipped a grade. None of them knew about Edward-just because I hated the guy didn't mean I wanted him dead. Ugh-what was wrong with me? Why was I thinking about him in the first place?

"So, ready to meet L.A.?" Jasper grinned. Oh yeah-I was thinking about the last time we moved, that's why.

"You bet," I sighed. "I hate leaving all my friends behind, though." His smile turned soft. "Don't worry-you're like a magnet for people. Ever since we arrived here, it's like you've broken out of this shell, and now no one can resist you. Especially the boys. I mean, who wouldn't love funny, beautiful Bella Swan?"

"Aw, that's sweet, Jazz," I teased, though puzzled by his words. My mysterious popularity would forever be a mystery to me-though I suppose being the sister of both the captain of the hockey team and captain of the football team, instant popularity would be part of the deal.

6 hours and 45 minutes later, our plane landed in sunny L.A. where Jazz, Em and I would be attending a super elite private school. At least that's what Jazz told me-I wouldn't know how long the plane ride lasted seeing as I was sleeping the entire time. Thank god I got to sit next to Jasper instead of Emmett, who looked very awkward next to a silent Charlie. When we got to our house, I gasped- but not because of the house. Sure, it was huge and beautiful, with flowers and a perfect lawn, but that wasn't why I was surprised. In the driveway, there were 3 wonderful vehicles in addition to Charlie's black Mercedes-did I mention he got promoted to bodyguard of various rich peoples, thus making him rich too? But anyway, back to the point. I saw Jasper immediately start drooling at the sight of a very speedy looking silver motorcycle, and Emmett with his mouth open gaping like a fish at the sight of a humongous monstrous jeep-but that wasn't what I was focusing on. My eyes were locked on a sleek, elegant beautiful blue Audi convertible-a 2008 A3 Cabriolet, to be exact. **(Please Google it and tell me what you think! I personally LOVE it…drool)** In fact, I was so caught up with it, that I didn't even notice Charlie leave us and enter the house.

"You know, this just means he'll be around even less-and this is his way of easing the guilt," Jasper said quietly.

"Who cares about him? At least we got these awesome cars and motorcycle," Emmett said in an offhand, aloof voice. I wasn't fooled and sighed.

"Well, there's nothing we can do about that. Let's go pick rooms instead." I tried to sound upbeat and ran up the stairs. Immediately I started squealing and stopped at a room where one wall was made almost completely of glass. It provided an excellent view of the backyard, with the patio, a wonderfully kept rose garden, and trees that would sprout various fruits and flowers in the spring and summer. Best of all, though in the room I could see outside, people outside couldn't see inside since the window was made of special glass. The room itself had a light cream carpet and a huge, queen sized bed in one corner. Under the bed was a huge rug with white, soft long fur. Facing the window was a desk, light oak. Against on wall was a medium sized bookshelf full of my favorite novels. Everything else was blue, and I noticed detailed clouds painted on the ceiling. On the bedside table were the keys to my Audi-Charlie must have known which room I'd want. The thought brought a lump to my throat. Next to the keys was a white envelope. My hand flew to my mouth in shock when it revealed it's contents-exactly one thousand dollars. A note was attached to it and I read, 'Bella-I'm so sorry that I can never be the father you've always imagined and wished for, but know that I love you, always. This is some money for you to go shopping-your mother would have wanted it. –Dad.' Tears flowed down my cheeks, I was so genuinely touched. Changing into a cute white top with spaghetti straps and a pair of dark blue Abercrombie jean shorts, I grabbed two hundred dollars and went to my brother's rooms. Jasper's room was also light colored and one wall was completely covered with Civil War pictures and magazine pages. The other was completely covered with a HUGE bookshelf full of textbooks-what else? Emmett's room had a platinum T.V. and was full of video game controllers.

"Hey, I'm going shopping. Just to let you know," I said, not even bothering to ask politely for them to come. Emmett just nodded, not looking up from his T.V. screen, and Jasper just waved. Grabbing my keys, I ran to my Audi and turned the engine on. It was even better than I'd imagined.

Arriving at the mall, which was as big as the one back in Phoenix, I had just parked when a bright red BMW convertible pulled up next to mine. A stunning blonde and a striking looking short pixie-like girl got out. The blonde looked my car over and whistled.

"Nice...simple, classy…you have good taste." She smiled at me. I had the impression that she was not easily impressed and rarely gave out compliments.

"It's not too flashy, which is more than can be said for Rose's car here," the pixie like girl commented lightly. The blonde, Rose, rolled her eyes.

"Like you can talk, little Miss. Yellow-shiny-$120,000-Porsche owner," she retorted. I felt the urge to talk.

"Do you two always go around offering feedback on complete strangers' vehicles?" I asked, unable to stop myself. The pixie flashed a grin at me.

"Yep! I'm Alice Brandon, and that's Rosalie Hale there by the way," she said. "I'd normally drive my own car but my parents grounded me for spending a teensy bit too much on a shopping trip."

"Alice, you spent more than four-thousand dollars on a single shopping spree!" Rose said, rolling her eyes again. Alice glared at her. "Four thousand dollars is NOT too much!"

"I beg to differ," I said laughing. Rose smiled at me again, genuinely this time.

"See, someone agrees with me. Not everyone is a shopping freak like you, Alice. Anyways, I think I might like you…"

"Bella," I put in. "And I'm so flattered. My brothers were just telling me how popular and irresistible I was and here I am, talking to a girl who _might_ like me." Alice giggled and begged me to shop along with them. I agreed, happily. We shopped for 4 hours straight, heading from store to store until we'd been to every store in the mall. Finally, at around 4, Alice stopped because Rose collapsed. Yes I know, four isn't that late, but keep in mind we'd been shopping since twelve in 3 inch devil heels. I was actually sincerely worried for a moment when Rose just passed out there in the mall, until she winked subtly at me when Alice wasn't looking. Alice herself, of course, was freaking out until Rose recovered and suggested they leave. Alice agreed unwillingly. When we arrived at our cars, both Alice and Rose turned to me.

"Bella…I know that I've only known you for about four hours, but I already have a feeling that we're going to be best friends, if we aren't already." Alice began.

"Of course," I agreed, having no idea where she was going with this.

"Since we're friends, it'd be nice to hang out a lot more often."

"Yes, even though we're going to go to the same school (something that had come up was which school I'd be going to) we'd really like for you to spend a couple hours with us each day, outside of school." Rose seconded.

"Okay, where are you two going with this?" I demanded.

"Well, since we're friends, I'd like to ask a favor of you. I mean, close friends do that, right?"

"Yes…" I said warily.

"And they don't question their friends either," Rose added. "So basically, we'd just like you to be open minded, and do this favor for us without questioning or protesting it."

"Please Bella?" Alice said in a soft, pleading voice looking up at me with those tearful, shiny, wide Bambi eyes. "For me?"

"Fine," I sighed, resigned. There was no way in hell that I could resist those eyes. I was such a pushover.

Which was basically how I ended up in a ridiculous, frilly sailor outfit at Captain Bob's Surf and Turf an hour later.

"What have you done?" I asked in disbelief. Everything had happened so fast my brain could hardly process the unexpected turn of events.

"Well, as part of my punishment, my parents made me take a job here, as they know Bob and thought it would be a good experience for me. Naturally I had to make Rose join the staff too, and let's just say it wasn't too hard for me to convince Bob to hire another pretty young friend of mine here." Rose shuddered.

"The pervert," she muttered. I looked down at my outfit in horror. In addition to the stupid white sailor hat on my head, I was wearing a striped blue and white blouse with puffy sleeves, a bulbous pin with a name tag that said 'Hi! I'm Bella, how may I help you?', a WAY too short white skirt with stupid blue and white sandals to match. Alice looked at me grimacing and shrugged in sympathy-"I know-the uniform is horrible, isn't it?" I refused to look at her and she sighed sadly.

"Come on, Bella, I'm sorry. I just needed another friend here, and you're the ideal choice. Please forgive me," Alice mumbled.

"Yeah, I needed someone here besides this insane pixie," Rose added. I smiled and hugged them both. "Of course I forgive you."

Surprisingly, the rest of the night wasn't too bad. Sure, I'd had to deal with Bob staring either at my chest or my butt the entire time, I'd 'accidentally' spilled some spaghetti sauce on Lauren, another employee who was a total…okay, let's just say she wasn't nice. At all. Plus, I had utterly failed in my attempt to keep my expression stoic and not laugh when Rose's skirt caught fire and Alice had come to the rescue, completely drenching her by throwing a bucket of water at her, missed, hitting poor Rose's face instead, then repeating the action, this time successfully putting out the fire. Also, I'd had to deal with Jasper's, Emmett's and even Charlie's hysteric laughs when I went home and they saw my uniform. But somehow, Alice and Rosalie made everything worthwhile. I smiled just thinking of them. They were the best friends I'd made in, well, my entire life…even if they did trick me into working at Captain Bob's Surf and Turf.


	3. Chippy!

**A/N: 10 REVIEWS!!!! You guys all rock! I have NEVER gotten so many story alerts/favorite stories in one chapter! When you read this chapter don't get TOO mad at EC. I mean, he is a total douche-bag and I agree, but still…Do you know what OOC means? I've been reading around and I still don't get it. I also don't know what AWOL stands for, though I know what it means. Kind of sad, isn't it?**

BPOV

I sighed on my way to Volterra High. I drove my Audi to school alone- my brothers always brought too much attention to me. Em and Jazz had promised not to give the guys at our new school The Speech this year, where they warned every guy at school to stay away from me, but you never knew. I'd dressed in sunglasses, white Aeropostale shorts and a strapless deep blue blouse. I'd pulled up part of my hair in a clip and if you compared a picture of Marie with how I looked right now…well, I won't even go into that. Pulling into the school's parking lot, I attracted a ton of stares from the boys and a couple people wolf-whistled. Seriously, didn't people get used to newcomers in a city like L.A.?

I quickly scanned the front of the school for Alice and Rose and smiled when I spotted them almost immediately. Head held high, I walked confidently over to them, ignoring the crowds of girls gawking at me. Hmm, as expected, my two new BFFs were the most popular girls at the school.

"Hey, Alice, Rose!" I called out, reaching over to hug them.

"Bella! Wow, you look h-o-t!" Alice exclaimed.

"I love the sunglasses touch- it adds just enough mystery to the whole outfit to make you irresistible," Rose nodded her approval, hugging me back. At that moment, both my brothers pulled in. I rolled my eyes as heads turned at the roar of Jasper's motorcycle. He was wearing a black leather jacket, a white t-shirt and dark jeans, also with shades covering his eyes. Emmett was dressed in his football jersey from Phoenix, and he loomed impressively over every other boy in the parking lot who cowed in his presence. Trust them to make a dramatic entrance.

"Wow…those new guys are HOT!" Alice whispered in an awed voice. "Especially the blond one. I could just eat him up, he looks better than any movie star _I've_ ever seen."

"I've personally got my eyes on the curly haired hunk." I almost choked at hearing Emmett described as a 'hunk.' Rose continued dreamily, "I mean, that smirk on his face will make my legs weak any day. And those muscles on his arms…and his chest…" I decided to cut in as I too was becoming weak, though for a very different reason than my love struck friends.

"Um…you two do know that those are my brothers you're drooling over, right?" They both snapped out of their dazes and looked at me in horror.

"Oh! Bella, I didn't know…" I cut them off dismissively with a wave of my hand.

"Nah, don't apologize. You both have my permission to ogle my bros all you want just as long as you don't do it in front of me. Maybe it's just me, but I personally think it's kind of weird…and wrong, to hear them described like that." At this point Emmett and Jazz both simultaneously started walking towards me.

"Little sis! It wasn't nice of you to leave without us like that!" Em said his voice mockingly hurt.

"Well, maybe next time you won't spend an hour in the shower." I retorted. "And you just had to make an entrance like that, didn't you?"

"Of course," Jazz said amused.

"Well, I guess that's to be expected. Actually, I'd be surprised if you _didn't _come to school like this." Under my breath, I muttered, "Stupid, cocky, empty headed, moronic…"

"Aren't you going to introduce us to your friends?" Emmett interrupted my rant. He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at Rose while she looked his body up and down appreciatively. I could only imagine what they were thinking…and then my mind instantly recoiled from the only-too-vivid picture. That definitely made the list of Top Ten Totally Unnecessary Mental Images.

"I'm Jasper, what's your name sweetheart?" Jasper asked kindly to Alice, not bothering to wait for my introduction, holding out his hand.

"I'm Alice," said Alice, taking Jasper's hand looking like she might faint.

"Um…well, I'll leave you lovebirds to get to know each other," I smirked, taking off before I could puke from all the cheesy romance. My schedule had come in the mail, so there was no need to go to the office. Glancing down, I groaned. Great, gym. Not that I was bad at it, but I hated starting off my days with a dozen laps. I hurried off to the locker room.

"Hey, I'm Angela," a friendly looking girl with light brown hair smiled at me after I walked out into the gym.

"Bella," I responded with a grin of my own.

"Look, Bella," she lowered her voice glancing around, "I'm just trying to help you, so don't think I'm one of those biased gossip queens. But DON'T trust Edward. You'll see who I mean soon- he's in this class. Don't believe a word he says, it's just for his reputation. Everything he says will be very hard to…disbelieve, but trust me, it's all an act to make you fall for him. As soon as he makes out with you once, or takes advantage of you, he'll leave. It takes just one kiss to make him disappear." I looked into Angela's dead serious eyes. Though she didn't say it out loud, by the way her gentle brown eyes darkened, I could tell she was speaking from experience. I suddenly felt a surge of anger towards this guy, whoever he was. He reminded me too much of my ex- the name, the reputation, everything. But even I couldn't be so unlucky that this 'Edward' was 'Edward Cullen, my jerk ex-boyfriend'. There was just no way…and yet it was.

"Hello, I'm Edward Cullen." A smooth voice said behind me. I gasped inaudibly and turned around. Yep, there he was, in all his glory a smug, confident smirk on his face. Just how small was this world, anyway?! He looked even better than the last time I'd seen him, except for one thing. His eyes, still an emerald green, seemed curiously emotionless, dead even…but what I noticed the most was that they contained no trace of recognition in them.

The first thing I felt, as ridiculous as it sounds, was betrayal. Hurt that he didn't even recognize me, _me_, who had been his sometimes-girlfriend for two whole years.

The second emotion I felt was anger- at myself. Who cared if he didn't recognize me? Did I honestly expect it? And if he didn't know who I once was, well I certainly wasn't going to tell him. The dolt didn't deserve to know. I realized with a jolt that if I did accept him back into my life then I was welcoming back the past that I had tried so desperately to erase. He had seen me, er, Marie at her weakest moments and I certainly wasn't going to give him that advantage over me.

The third emotion was mischief. Here was a chance to damage both his pride and his playboy reputation; killing two birds with one stone, you might say it, and I'll be damned if I passed it up.

"You look familiar. Have we met before?" He asked seductively, as he stepped closer to me. His eyes were slightly clouded with confusion, I noticed.

"Hmm, have we? You remind me of someone too…" I trailed off as I stepped even closer so our lips were an inch apart. Leaning up, I moved my mouth so that it was next to his ear, smirking as I thought of what I was about to do. If Edward Cullen had a weakness, it was that he couldn't stand humiliation. I also noticed a crowd was gathering. Perfect.

"Chippy!" I suddenly shrieked in a very high, girlish voice. He winced and stepped back in confusion.

"OMG, you remind me sooo much of him!" I squealed like a seven year old.

"Who?" He asked.

"You remind me of my pet Chippy!" I repeated.

"Bella, I don't think finding a dead chipmunk in the bathtub when you were seven counts as a pet." Jasper said, emerging out of nowhere.

"Of course it does!" I said, still using my most annoying little girl voice.

"Wait, back up. Chippy is a dead chipmunk you found in a bathtub?" Edward asked in horror. I almost burst out laughing at his expression.

"Yep! I swear, you two resemble each other so much that if I didn't know better, I'd say you were the human incarnation of him!" I positively beamed at him. A few people in our audience were shaking with laughter. Mostly males, I noticed. Angela gave me a thumbs up.

"You're telling me I look like the incarnation of a drowned chipmunk?" He repeated, still shell shocked.

"How many times do I have to tell you, mister?" I placed my hands on my hips, pouting. "Although it seems that you not only are identical to him in looks, but apparently in intelligence as well." I reached up and ruffled his hair so that he looked like a scarecrow with a bad hair day. Barely sustaining a giggle as I watched him hurriedly reach up and fix it, I also pinched one of his cheeks. "Aww, you two even have the same facial features! There's only one difference between you two…" I eyed him speculatively, and then shook my head in fake disappointment. "Chippy was sooo much cuter." That last part was the truth. A dead chipmunk didn't bring girls down, didn't steal their hearts only to break them just because they could. They didn't radiate confidence, arrogance, selfishness and cruelty. Too bad too few girls cared about internal beauty.

**EPOV**

As I watched Belinda- or was it Bethany?- walk away, I tried to get my thoughts together. What just happened? Did she seriously just turn me down in the most humiliating way possible? No one had ever rejected me, no one except….no, I would not think of her. I winced every time I thought of her name, so I didn't think of it anymore. There was something wrong with that new girl, of that I was certain. She probably belonged in a mental facility. I refused to think of the possibility that she truly didn't want me. I had seen something- though I didn't know what it was- flash in her eyes before it was replaced by a perfected poker face. It was probably lust, what I'd seen in the eyes of every girl who had ever laid eyes on me, with the exception, obviously, of my family. Yes, that was it, only she had concealed it too quickly for it to become noticeable. I would stick to this conclusion, I decided. She was just playing hard to get, but it was only a matter of time before she caved. No girl I wanted had ever _not_ wanted me in return- and the new girl at Volterra High was no exception.

**A/N: What do you think of what I did? It might be kind of weird, but Bella was supposed to both humiliate Edward while not portray herself as a total witch, but rather an innocent girl who had no intention to fall for Edward's charms. **


	4. Comebacks and Sleepovers

**A/N: YAY! 10 more reviews! Let's see if we can get that again, okay? But a huge THANK YOU to anyone who reviewed! To make up for not updating sooner, I'm making this chapter an extra long one. Enjoy!**

BPOV

I couldn't believe him. He had the nerve not to remember me! The idiotic moron. I shook my head angrily- why was I thinking about him again? I let my mind drift to happier memories…like the look on his face when I tweaked his nose and giggled internally. Reputation…I'll give you reputation, Cullen. You just won't like it.

I entered my next class and smiled when I saw Alice motioning for me to sit in the chair next to her. She immediately started babbling about something, but my mind was distracted, and I tuned her out. She finally got my attention when she said, "I was going to warn you about my cousin, but," she shrugged, "it turned out you didn't need it."

"Wait a second…_cousin_?" I gasped. Vaguely, I remembered Edward mentioning once about visiting a cousin named Alice during the holidays. On our shopping trip, I'd found out Rose and Alice were also cousins, and that Alice's parents had adopted Rose when her parents died in a car crash. So if Alice and Edward were cousins, that meant Rose was his cousin also. God, this world was smaller than I'd thought and I didn't mean that in a good way.

"Yeah…Edward won a scholarship- don't ask me how, he's got a brain smaller than a flea- and my parents allowed him to stay here. Elizabeth- my aunt- seemed relieved. I wasn't surprised." Alice grimaced.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" I asked, all but shouting.

"Sorry, Bella," Alice hung her head, "but every time I think of the fact I'm related to him, I want to shoot myself out of shame." She paused. "No wait, scratch that, shoot _him_ more like." I laughed. "Well, I can't say that I blame you there." Alice smiled, relieved that I'd forgiven her. We chatted for the rest of Health, and the subject of Edward Cullen didn't come up again, for which I was grateful.

"Hey, Rose!" I called out, having spotted my other best friend in the library. Rose was a year older than Alice and I, so we didn't see her as often, other than in study hall right now and next period lunch. It was fourth period, I hadn't seen Edward at all since gym, and was in the hopes of having no more classes with him. She smiled at me. "So, Alice told me that now you know all about how the infamous Edward Cullen is our cousin."

"Yup! You don't see him that often around school, do you?"

"Well, sort of. He got placed in my Spanish ever since he spent a summer in Spain with his parents, but that's pretty much it besides lunch." Rose made a face. "You're so lucky you don't have my Spanish- I swear, every time I see _Edwardo_ flirting with our 50-something year old teacher, I want to puke. Speaking of Edward," Rose murmured, lowering her voice, "He's kind of in our study ha-"

At that moment, Edward himself walked in. Seeing me, he immediately grinned and walked over. I groaned- couldn't this guy ever take a hint?- and immediately struck up a conversation with Rose. We both ignored him for a full five minutes, before I gave up and turned to Edward with a polite smile plastered on my face.

"Oh, you're still here?" I asked, my tone an odd mixture of feigned surprise and genuine disappointment.

"Is there something we could help you with?" Rose asked, her tone mirroring mine.

"Is this seat empty?" Edward asked in a low voice.

"Yes, and so will these, if you sit down," I said. I'd always loved that comeback, and here was the perfect opportunity to use it.

"Aw, you know you don't really mean that," he said, his voice husky, seductive, and to most, irresistible. "I know you want me, so why bother denying it? If you just give in, it'll make things so much easier for the both of us and I can promise you a good time that much sooner." Fighting off my reflex to gag, I turned to him and smiled sweetly.

"Hey, Edward, would you mind giving me a picture of you? I want to stick it in my dictionary next to the definition of 'deluded'." Rose couldn't help it anymore, she burst out laughing. I flashed one last smile at Edward's stunned face before sashaying away, waiting until I was out of sight behind some bookshelves, and bursting into hysterics myself.

Just as the bell rang and I walked to my locker, getting ready for lunch, Edward crept up behind me. I didn't hear him coming, so when he placed a hand on my shoulder I jumped. "Just so you know…" He whispered, trailing his fingers up my arm, "I love a challenge." I smirked at his husky voice designed to make girls pass out then and there; well, two could play at that game. I turned around abruptly so my face was inches from him. He gasped, and inhaled sharply. "Well then, Mr. Cullen," I whispered, staring straight into his eyes, "if that's the case, you should know that I don't go down without a fight." Then with a swish of my hair, I was gone. 

"What was that about?" Rose asked when I headed into the cafeteria. "If I didn't know better, I would have sworn you two were making out."

"That's what Bella wanted, I'm sure," Edward said, walking past us with a wink at me. I rolled my eyes- stupid, eavesdropping jerk.

"You know, forget what I said about your intelligence being equal to my dead chipmunks. Compared to you, Chippy's Einstein. If you honestly think you stand a chance with me, then, well, you REALLY need professional help," I called out. As he walked away, Alice and Rose both high-fived me. "It's funny…he usually doesn't spend this much effort on girls. You're different, Bella." Those words sent a pang through my chest. Once upon a time, I had been an innocent naive girl who thought she was different too before I woke up to reality.

"C'mon, Alice," Rose said, rolling her eyes, "I mean, I love you, but sometimes you can be so dense. The reason he doesn't try with any other girl is because he doesn't need to. Right now, he's desperate- it's like a battle between him and Bella, and right now, Bella's definitely winning. If he loses, he'll be surrendering his reputation. But on to a more cheerful note, Alice and I have been meaning to ask you if you would like to have a sleepover after work."

"Of course! Jazz and Emmett won't mind," I said happily.

Later, at work, things were going fine. That is, at least until a certain someone showed up. I groaned as I walked over to Edward's table when he waved me over.

"You know, if you want to see Alice or Rose, all you have to do is ask," I muttered, stomping over with his appetizer of bread crisps and clam sauce. He raised his eyebrows. "And why would I want to see them when I have this very attractive young woman standing right in front of me wearing a _very_ nice outfit?" He raked his eyes up and down my body. I stiffened, feeling all too conscious of my EXTREMELY short skirt and see-through blouse.

"Show a little respect," I snapped.

"Make me," he taunted like a four year old.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you manners?"

"Hmm…" he pretended to think about it, "Yes, but I ignore everything she teaches me."

"You're unbelievable!"

"Being the waitress, shouldn't you show a little more respect?" I nearly growled- so now he was the one lecturing _me_ on manners?

"Sure, after you earn it, which will be in…let me see…NEVER."

"Yeah, yeah," he waved his arm around, bored, "See here, aren't all waitresses supposed to throw themselves at handsome men, like myself for example?"

"I'm not your average stereotyped waitress, Dorkward."

"Look who's talking."

"You're insufferable!" He laughed.

"Hey, what's with all the big words?" Then, under his breath, he added, "I can't believe I'm flirting with a nerd…_again_." That did it. He could have been talking about anyone, but I was pretty sure he meant Marie. Who he didn't even recognize standing a foot in front of him. I grabbed the red clam sauce and dumped it on a very shocked Edward's head. Well, there goes nothing. _Bye job, perverted Bob, hours of fun with Alice and Rose…_I thought.

"Better get that stain out," I smirked, pointing to the bathroom, fully expecting an enraged Bob to come storming out any moment. Walking into the kitchen myself with new towels to clean up the mess, I ran into a fellow waitress, Jessica.

"Who do you think you are? Flirting with Edward?" She demanded. "He's mine- deal."

"Whoa, back up here," I said, holding my hands up. "Let's get this straight. You think _I_ want _him_? Sorry, but you've got a really messed up outlook on the whole situation. Did you not just see me dump that sauce on his head?" She blinked, confused. I doubted anyone had _not_ wanted Edward Cullen before.

"You don't…want him?" She asked uncertainly.

"Girl, if you two ever get married, I'd be your maid of honor," I said, "I mean it. You two are meant for each other." One was a stupid, vain airhead while the other was a self-centered pig- of course they deserved each other. "Oh," she said, blinking again, and walked away in the opposite direction. As I came out of the kitchen, I ran into Edward, who was leaning against the door, obviously eavesdropping. He had a very odd expression on his face.

"What do you want? If you want to get me fired, the manager's office is over to the left," I said.

"I don't want to get you fired," he said, then walked away. Shaking my head, I went back to the table to clean up the sauce to find $2.00 tip waiting for me. Edward Cullen had just left me a _tip_ though I'd be the first to admit I didn't deserve it. Could this day get any weirder?

"OMG! I love Dug!" Alice squealed. She was a HUGE fan of Disney movies, which was why we were now watching Up at Rose and her house. Her parents, Carlisle and Esme, were apparently out for the night.

"I know. Personally, I like Russell though. He's sooo adorable. When I have kids I want them to join boy/girl scouts, depending on their gender. Who's your favorite character, Bella?"

"Oh, Kevin totally. He's awesome," I replied. "Anyone who can swallow a tennis ball is." Rose laughed and Alice opened her mouth to say something, when Edward walked in- and not alone. Ignoring us, he dragged the girl- I'm presuming it was a girl, it was kind of hard to tell since he completely covered her- over to the couch and continued their making out session, shoving his tongue down her throat.

"Are they going to have sex right there on the couch?" I asked, completely grossed out.

"Don't know, and don't want to know," Alice replied.

"Just ignore them," Rose murmured. It was an impossible task, however much I forced my attention to the T.V. I lasted about five minutes- impressive, I know- before I stood up stiffly and said in a disparaging tone, "Excuse me while I go vomit," before sprinting out of there. Two seconds later, Alice followed, with a shout of, "I think I'm gonna puke." She joined me in the bathroom. Rose lost it another minute later.

"GET A ROOM!!! IS THAT SO HARD?" She shrieked. I winced and covered my ears. The girl said something back. "OH YEAH? WELL, THIS IS MY HOUSE, AND IF YOU DON'T GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE IN FIVE SECONDS, I'M CALLING THE COPS!!! FIVE…FOUR…" There was the sound of a banging door, and then Edward yelling at Rose.

"ROSALIE HALE, WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM?"

"MY PROBLEM IS THAT YOU ARE THE BIGGEST- *insert very vulgar language here*- I HAVE EVER MET! EED I REMIND YOU THAT YOU TOO ARE A GUEST, WHICH MEANS I CAN KICK YOU OUT ANY TIME I WANT!"

At this moment, the door banged shut again, and Rose, breathing heavily, entered the bathroom. Her enraged expression immediately transformed into a concerned one.

"Sorry about that…Bella, are you okay? You look kind of nauseated…not that I blame you, of course."

"I'm fine," I said, forcing a smile. The truth was, I did feel nauseated. Just not for the reason they thought…okay, maybe a little. I couldn't help wondering if I was really just like all those other girls who'd drooled over Edward and groveled at his feet, who I had scorned so much. Was I really any different? I'd always liked to think that four years ago, I'd first fallen for Edward because of what he was _behind_ the pretty face. But right now, I failed to comprehend how I could have ever fallen for Edward's character…so it must have been the looks. From what I saw of Edward today, he was a self centered, despicable, disgusting, uncaring, cruel _monster._ Like in Beauty and the Beast, only instead of having a hideous exterior and a beautiful soul inside, it was the other way around. Thinking back, I wondered, _How could I ever have dated, or more importantly, fallen in love with Edward Cullen?_


	5. First Taste of Alcohol

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews and to all the people who put me as favorite author, story alert or favorite story! I 3 you all…in a friendly way. PLEASE REVIEW! This week has been HECTIC with concerts, piano recitals and finals coming up, so I wasn't sure if I was going to update at all, but since I did, REVIEW!**

BPOV

My life officially sucked. And the reason my life sucked was because of a certain bronze haired, green eyed playboy with the initials EC. My average weekday went something like this:

6:00 - 6:30a.m. - Wake up, and take a cold shower because Charlie takes hour long baths in scalding hot water.

6:30-7:00 a.m.- Somehow manage to make myself look utterly gorgeous in a time span of 30 minutes.

7:00-7:30 a.m.- Cook enough food to serve at a buffet for my two brothers and myself. Hurry to school.

8:00 a.m.- Pull into school parking lot. Hurry to first period class.

1st period- Gym. Exchange excessive amounts of glaring with Edward Cullen. If partnered together, we each try to make the other fail. Resist punching Cullen so I won't get a lawsuit for breaking Mr. Bighead's nose.

2nd period- Spanish. Giggle and whisper in an annoying obvious way with Alice Brandon in an effort to piss off Mrs. Goff. What bugged her most was that even though Alice and I didn't listen to a word she said, she was still forced to give us perfect grades because we're just smart like that.

3rd period- European History. Nap time!

4th period- Study Hall. Exchange updates on hot new cars with Rose while studiously ignoring EC.

5th period- Lunch. Food fight with Edward, his Barbie clones and pathetic jock friends. With Emmett, Jazz, Rose, and a surprisingly fierce Alice on my side, we won every time. Also stomach the increasingly obvious flirting and googly eyed looks my best friends and brothers exchanged.

6th period.- Biology. Unfortunately, I had Dumbward as my lab partner, who seemed to have dust bunnies in place of brains. Exchange impressive amounts of insults with Dumbward.

7th period.- Geometry. Doodle aimlessly on notebook.

8th period.- English. Lose myself in Shakespeare, Hugo, Bronte, Dickens and Austen. Best period of the day.

9th period- Chorus/Orchestra. Sing with Alice and Rose or immerse myself in my viola.

2:45- 4:30 p.m.- work at Bob's Surf and Turf. Serve several snot-nosed, overly obese, petulant customers who gave tips way lower than the required 15%. Also somehow manage not to lose temper with E.C. who had coincidentally become a regular at my new job.

4.30-7.30 p.m.- Girl's Varsity Swimming, where I was team captain. Guess who was our new assistant coach? I'll give you a hint- he's the reason why I was aging prematurely and had a headache at all times of the day.

7:30-9:30p.m.- Finally make it home and do my homework.

9:30-10 p.m.- Shower, brush my teeth and pick out outfit for tomorrow.

10:00 p.m.- Go to bed, recover, and begin again.

As you can see, Edward Cullen was becoming a bigger part of my life than I'd intended. On the up side, though, he seemed to have given up trying to kiss me. Still, that didn't mean I tolerated him. He couldn't remember me at _all_, in any shape or form. And I don't mean he just didn't recognize me as Marie, but he still occasionally called me the wrong name. The Isabel-beer disaster just proved my point…

"C'mon, please, please Bella!" Alice pleaded. "It's my half birthday, so as a present, just let me fix you up!" I snorted.

"Yeah, like a half-birthday is just _sooo_ important that I'd actually consider for a moment to let you dress me, do my makeup, and force me to go to a club."

"Bella, we can either do this the easy way, or the hard way, but either way, you're going to that club, even if I have to tie you down!" Rose threatened. I took one look at her dangerous expression, and decided I valued my life too much to protest. I sat down. Alice squealed, and immediately went to work. Two hours and 45 minutes later I was ready.

"You dyed my hair BLONDE?" I yelled so loudly Jazz actually peeked in my bathroom to make sure I was okay.

"Shh, Bella, it's okay!" Alice said hurriedly. "First off, I didn't dye your hair _completely_ blond, they're just highlights. Secondly, they'll wash out." I relaxed marginally, but still gaped at my reflection in the mirror. I was wearing a flimsy strapless silver shirt, made of a satiny material and showed a bit more cleavage than I was comfortable with. In addition to that, I was wearing a puny miniskirt that barely covered my butt, a huge belt, and black tights with Uggs. There was a thin headband in my now partially blonde hair. Simply put, I looked like a freaking prostitute.

Of course, Alice and Rose had other ways of putting it. Rose said I was a 'tigress' and Alice described me as 'alluring and irresistible.' I said I looked like Edward Cullen's type of girl, something I did NOT want to be. Even so, as soon as Alice pulled out her puppy dog look, I was helpless. So I stiffly and very unwillingly allowed myself to be shoved in her Porsche and driven off to some fancy schmancy new club.

I knew as soon as I stepped through the door that I was out of my league. The blaring lights, deafening music…everything. To make things worse, Alice and Rose ditched me within two minutes for my brothers. I sighed and made my way over to a slightly less crowded corner of the club and ordered a Coke.

"Hey, beautiful," a voice said behind me. I jumped, then groaned. Edward Cullen was leaning against the side of the bar, wearing a tight t-shirt, leather jacket and dark blue jeans, looking- I admit it- very hot, sexy and very…drunk. I almost choked on my drink as something else hit me…with the way I had been acting the past few days, there was no way in hell that he would call me 'beautiful.' There was only one reasonable solution- he didn't recognize me after my new makeover.

"It's Isabel," I said smoothly, deciding to have some fun. He smiled.

"Though beautiful fits too, I must say." He suddenly grabbed the back of my shirt.

"What are you doing?" I yelped.

"Checking the tag to see if you were from Heaven," he answered cheekily. I swatted his hand away. _Checking to see if you were from Heaven?_ Seriously? I thought.

"Oh God," I muttered.

"No, it's Edward," he smirked.

"How did your head even fit through the door?" I questioned.

"Aw, baby, that's not nice," he slurred, stepping forward. I immediately took one step back.

"Darling, you need to relax. Here, I'll buy you a beer," he said, waving the bartender over.

"I don't drink," I stated flatly.

"Aren't you a pious, innocent little thing?" He smiled. I could smell the alcohol on his breath.

"Shut up."

"What, too afraid to get caught drinking by your daddy?" That did it. If there's one thing I couldn't stand, it's being told I _couldn't_ do something. Edward had told me back in Forks I could never become athletic, or popular. That had given me the motivation to become a dancer, become captain of the swim team and one of the most popular girls in school. I grabbed the glass from him and downed it. The liquor never made it past my throat.

The beer tasted fiery, and burned my throat. I choked, spluttered, reflexively gagged and instinctively spat it out…right in Edward's face.

The look on my ex-boyfriend's face would have been absolutely comical, but I was too busy wheezing to fully appreciate it.

"Need…water…" I managed to choke out, unaware that we had attracted a crowd. The bartender handed me a bottle of water with an amused expression on his face.

"What's your problem?" Edward bellowed, his face red with rage and wet from the beer.

"Hey, it's not my fault it tasted like crap!" I said, defensively. "What'd you do, poison it?"

"I thought someone like you would be able to handle a shot of Vodka!"

"What do you mean exactly when you say 'someone like me'?"

"I mean a whore, a prostitute," he fired back. Funny, that's exactly how I'd described myself in my head when I looked at myself in the mirror.

"First of all, if you hit on me, who is supposedly a 'whore', I don't see how that makes you much better. Second of all, I wouldn't sleep with you if you paid me, so technically I'm not a prostitute. Even I have standards," I said, walking away, a broad smile spreading over my face. _Ooh…burn,_ I thought. Bella: 1 Edward: 0

**A/N: I don't have time for anything more, but I thought that was just a fun little chapter to write. Updates will happen next week.**


	6. Marie

**A/N: Sorry for only updating once a week! Thanks for all the reviews, again! I'm glad a lot of people like this story. =D. This chapter is pretty intense.**

BPOV- later, after the party.

I left the party about two minutes after that. I really needed to brush my teeth to get the beer taste out. Jazz and Emmett agreed to let me stay over at Alice and Rose's house on the condition that on the way home, I not spit any more beverages in peoples' faces. They would drop off my stuff later at night.

A loud banging noise alerted me to Boozeward's arrival home. I sighed, then looked in the mirror to make sure absolutely none of the blonde dye remained. Peeking into Alice's room, I saw Edward and smirked. The dimwit was too drunk to even find the way to his room.

"Had a good night, Edward?" I asked pleasantly. Rose, also in the room, snorted. They'd both witnessed my beer fiasco. Edward glared at me. "Your face seems wet, and it reeks of beer. What happened? Someone spilled a drink on you?"

"Nah, Edward's just upset some chick rejected him." Alice chucked. Both Ali and Rose had laughed hysterically when I told them about 'Isabel'.

"That's the second time I've been turned down in, well, 5 hours." He muttered.

"C'mon Eddie, you've got to learn you can't have everyone you want. I'm sure that I, Bella Swan, was not the first one smart enough to want nothing to do with you." This I knew for a fact, because it was my past self who'd been the first female to ever inform him that he was, in fact, not as great as he thought himself to be.

"You weren't. You were the second." He smiled at me.

"Who was the first? I'd like to shake her hand," I smirked mockingly, and a bit meanly, I admit. But still, even now, he couldn't recognize me. That stung. Edward barely glanced at me.

"I'll never understand you women. Who wouldn't want me? I mean, I'm hot, popular, and if I truly loved someone, I'd go to the end of the world for her…"

"Get your head out of your ass, Cullen," Rose laughed.

"I doubt you'd even go to the end of the block for her, but on the off chance that you would, would you stay there?" I countered, blocking Rose out. There was only Edward and me now. His green eyes hardened.

"You don't know anything."

"On the contrary, I know quite a bit. I'll never pretend to fully get you Edward, it's impossible for anyone to do that. But here's what I do know- you're a self-centered jerk who only cares for himself. You never consider what anyone else might be feeling. Okay, that might be a bit harsh. But have you ever really loved a girl? Looked at her, and really meant it when you said your heart belonged to her? So much that nothing, not even having the highest reputation in town, could compare to it? So much that you wouldn't be ashamed to announce to the world she was yours, even if it meant risking the opinions of a few shallow jocks and plastic Barbie girls?" A sense of déjà vu surrounded me as the lines of the past and present began to blur. Marie was gone, but Bella stood in her place, bravely unleashing all the words that had built up for two years, forgetting for the moment I, or Bella at least, wasn't supposed to know all this. I glanced up at Edward. His green eyes, staring off into space with a faraway look in them, shone brightly.

"No." He said finally. "I loved a girl once, but she's gone now. I didn't love her enough, and I'll always regret that. I didn't deserve her- it took me too long to realize that. She gave me so many chances, but I blew them all off. I'll always think of her, because I can't help it, even though it causes me agony. But I hope she's happy now, wherever she is, without me." Edward's voice broke on the words 'without me.' Then, without a second glance, he turned swiftly and left the room. The front door slammed shut, alerting me to the fact that he'd left the house too. I sank down, incomprehensibly, my brain sagging. He couldn't mean me…I mean, look, if he DID mean me, he would at least recognize me. No, he must have meant some other girl he'd met while I was in Phoenix.

"Whoa, Bella," Alice stared at me in amazement. "I've never heard him sound so sincere in my life."

"You sure know how to pick your words," Rose added, "usually insults just bounce off, but you managed to shake him to the core, and you weren't even directly accusing him of anything."

"Do you know why my words hurt him so much? Do you know anything of this romantic relationship he was in?" I asked, curiously. I refused to believe that it could be me, so I couldn't see the harm in them telling me. Alice shook her head.

"Edward never mentioned it, but a couple years ago, when we went down to Forks to see him everyone noticed he'd changed. We'd gone there to pick him up; since we just found out he'd be transferring to our school. But Edward…he was different. I probably shouldn't be telling you this, but I can't see the harm," Alice shrugged. That's her- never can keep her mouth shut about something, the gossip queen.

"Yeah…" Rose said slowly, "I mean, he was always a bit of an egocentric idiot, but never a downright jerk. I swear, I've never seen a guy that uses girls as bad as he does. Auntie Elizabeth mentioned, however, that he'd recently had a relationship with a girl- I think her name was Marie, or something- and that it'd ended badly. We cornered Edward, and demanded to know if using girls was his way of numbing his pain. He'd only shrugged, and told us he needed a distraction and to back off." I was in shock from hearing my name.

"Whether that's the girl he mentioned tonight, I don't know. But that's all I know about past love life." Alice sighed wistfully. "Elizabeth wouldn't give me specific details about her, saying that was Edward's private stuff, but I did notice that even though her voice was bitter every time she said Marie's name (which mother wouldn't be angry with a girl who'd hurt her son?) she didn't really sound like she blamed her. For breaking up with Edward, I mean. I've always wondered why. This Marie must be a very interesting girl- I mean, she did manage to resist my brother's charms. I've always wanted to hear the story from her point of view, or just meet her in person."

"Well, you don't have to worry about that part," I said bitterly, "In fact, you've already met her. She's sitting in front of you right now." What was the point, really, in hiding my past anymore? I didn't tell Edward because I didn't think he deserved to know, but I didn't mind telling anyone else. Rose and Alice both simultaneously gasped. I smiled, tightly. "I never told you my full name, did I? Isabella _Marie_ Swan."

"You…I mean…the story," Rose whispered.

"Yes, I'm the Marie that broke up with Edward. The girl who came back four years later as Bella, the girl who apparently underwent so strong a transformation that her ex-boyfriend can't recognize who she is, or rather was."

"You broke up with him? But…why?" Alice asked. I rolled my eyes, and decided to give her the short version of it.

"Oh I don't know…let me see…well, I'll start at the beginning. In seventh grade, I was a bit of a nerd- I admit it. So there I was, all young and naïve, and the famous and popular Edward Cullen happens to be my lab partner. He was completely different then, all charming and stuff, and well, which girl wouldn't like him? Granted, I didn't swoon over him like every other girl, and he liked that about me. To him, both then and now, I was a challenge. Anyways, eventually I fell for him. I became his secret girlfriend- I wasn't exactly eager to break the news to my over protective bros and he said that he didn't want me to get picked on and hurt mercilessly by the lust struck female population of Forks Middle. I don't think I would have minded the secrecy thing if I hadn't found out, gradually, that the real reason he kept me a secret was because he was ashamed of me. He was ashamed of falling for a geek, but too selfish to let me go. He feared constantly what other people would think of us. To make sure no one suspected anything, he started taunting me harshly every day in school, to keep up appearances. He went so far as to go out with the school slut and make out every day in front of me, and I suspect that was partly to get back at me for refusing to kiss him. Finally, at one point, it became too much. I was tired of it, our relationship, him- everything. So I broke up with him, told him it was over. Coincidentally, that was the day my dad made a spontaneous decision to move to Phoenix. There, I regained the confidence Edward had drained out of me, and transformed into the girl I am today. After two years, we moved to L.A. and here I am." To prevent myself from breaking down, I said all this in a casual, uncaring, almost bored tone. However, my voice evidently wasn't blasé enough, since both Alice and Rose had tears streaming down their faces.

"Oh my…how _could_ he?" Rose shrieked. Alice on the other hand, however, had a thoughtful expression on her face.

"So you're the girl he was talking about, aren't you?" I rolled my eyes.

"Hardly. He never loved me, so I'm assuming he was talking about some other poor chick."

"Yes, but whether you're her or not, though I suspect you are, you must have _some_ power over him…if anyone could change him, it's you…" I froze as I got what Alice was hinting at.

"Alice…no. I understand you care for your brother, but you're sadly mistaken if you think I can change anything. He can't even recognize me, in case you've forgotten."

"Wait…Alice, you want to hook them up?" Rose asked frowning, only now getting the picture.

"Yes! It's perfect! We get Edward to fall in love with Bella, and he quits being such a jerk out of his undying love for her! It's so romantic!" Alice exclaimed.

"Um…Bella, excuse my irrational cousin. She was dropped a few times too many on her head in her childhood." Rose apologized. Turning to Alice, she scolded, "Have you forgotten about Bella? Our best friend? What about her? Maybe it's just me, but I personally think Bella's opinion about dating our cousin is anything but optimistic."

"Rose is right," I said softly, "I don't love Edward- at least, not anymore. So please try to stay out of my love life- I wouldn't ask if I wasn't sure what I wanted. Edward Cullen broke my heart, Alice…please accept that."

Then, from right behind me, a low, dangerous snarl shattered the silence that followed.

"He did _what_!" I whirled around to face my two brothers, fists clenched in rage, standing in the doorway; their faces an identical mask of murderous hate.

**A/N: REVIEW! Now the brotherly instincts start to kick in! You guys might want to start planning Edward's funeral….just in case. **


	7. CPR Gone Wrong

**A/N: Wow, 6 chapters and already 50 reviews! You guys rock! **

BPOV

I gulped, staring into my brothers' deadly faces. Jasper's hands were clenched so tightly together his knuckles had turned white, and Emmett's face was an odd beetroot color, a mix between brick red and radish purple.

"Uh…just how much have you two heard?" I asked.

"Enough to know that Cullen isn't going to live past tomorrow," Emmett said, cracking his knuckles threateningly.

"And how are you going to manage to do that? You can't go beating people up for no reason!" I shouted.

"Isn't hurting you enough of a reason?" Emmett asked, perplexed. Jasper just glared at the ground.

"Yes, but _he_ doesn't know that! That he hurt me, I mean. Besides, the past is the past, and he doesn't even remember me!"

"All the more reason to go kill him," Jasper said, finally speaking up. Alice just gaped at him. She'd never seen this side of him before- the overprotective, brutal, brotherly side. Unfortunately, judging by the dazed look in her eye, she thought that this made him even sexier. Weird. Rose had a similar expression on her face as she gawked openly at Emmett.

"Ugh! And you wonder why I never tell you anything. I can't tell you because I'm always worrying about the next person you'll send to the ER because of me! I can take care of myself, Jasper!"

"And just how well has that worked out for you, Bella?" He asked. I just glared at him, livid. He sighed.

"Fine. I'm not saying we're not going to teach Cullen a lesson, because we are, but we'll invent up some other excuse for beating him up that does not involve you in any way. Happy?"

"Better," I admitted. It wasn't so much the thought of my bros smashing Edward's head into a wall that bothered me, it was the thought that they were doing it for me. The thought that if they got into trouble it would be my fault, that they thought I couldn't do anything by myself. Emmett and Jasper both smiled at me.

"Okay, then, have a nice sleepover, sis. Jazz and I have business to do," Emmett grinned in anticipation. I sighed, too tired to argue. Emmett and Jazz left without another word, and that night, I comforted myself thinking that even my dramatic siblings wouldn't do anything _that_ drastic- they wouldn't risk their jail-free records for something like that. Right? Mistaken.

When I drove home next morning, and couldn't find my brothers anywhere, I began to worry. When I saw scraps of black fabric with holes in the shape of clothing, I really began to worry. When they weren't back at noon, and wouldn't answer their cell phones, I began to feel nauseous. When two figures dressed completely in black, crudely made, ninja-like suits with bandit masks over their faces burst in through the front door, I almost passed out.

"ARGHH!" I screamed, clutching the table for support as my legs sagged under me.

"Shh, jeez Bells! It's us!" I heard Jasper urgently whisper.

"Yeah, don't scream so loud, or the neighbors will come investigate." I glared at the Emmett-shaped ninja.

"What the hell, Emmett?" I screeched. He grinned and removed his mask, revealing a black eye and a slightly swollen mouth. Jasper did the same, revealing a bruised nose and a bloody lip.

"What _happened_ to you?" I asked concerned, forgetting my anger for the moment.

"What do you think?" Jasper retorted. I gasped.

"You…Cullen…damage…" I sputtered out. Emmett brightened instantly at the mention of 'damage.'

"Yeah, we did damage all right! So after we left, we spent all night working on our Grand Scheme. We knew both you and Charlie, if he ever found out, would flip if we were caught. Anyway, I got the perfect idea. Using our amazing artist skills, we created disguises for ourselves out of these depressing, dusty black drapes we found. We found Cullen and once he was alone, we cornered him. I doubt even _you_ could scream as high and loud as he did," Emmett chuckled. "But to his credit, he's a pretty damn good fighter. Too bad we're better," Emmett smiled proudly.

"Just what did you do?"

"A few punches, here and there. Oh, and by the way, you should know- your other brother fights like a sissy."

"I do not!" Jasper growled.

"Says you and what army? Anyway, only girls slap people in a man's fight!"

"I did not slap him," Jasper said piously, all wide eyed and innocent, "I merely high-fived his face a few times." I nearly bust a gut laughing. Brothers- you gotta love 'em.

"Alice, really!" I protested, staring wide eyed at the many skimpy bikinis she held out to me to try.

"Sorry, Alice, but there is NO WAY my baby sis is going out in one of those," Emmett stated firmly. I cast him a grateful glance. He shot me a 'No-prob-just-being-a good-big-brother-here' glance.

"That's not fair! You don't seem to mind seeing Rose in a WAY more revealing bikini than the ones I picked out!" Alice retorted, glaring. Emmett flushed.

"That's…different. Rose…I mean…we're not related," he finished lamely.

"Yeah, yeah, just admit that you lost," Alice brushed his protests off easily, holding up a bikini for me to try on. 4 hours later, we got our shopping done and were driving to a rather secluded beach about two hours north. If we hadn't started shopping at 7 a.m., there was no way we could have gotten there with enough time to actually enjoy a few hours of relaxation. Well…as relaxing as it was possible with Alice and Rose's chipmunk look-alike cousin trailing along.

"Remind me, why are you coming again?" I hissed when we got there and reached into the trunk to pull out my favorite towel, the one with the dolphins on it.

"Because I want to, that's why." He replied, staring at my chest. I flushed angrily.

"Dude, look at my face, not my boobs when you talk," I snapped, deeply regretting wearing the dark blue swimsuit with a white floral print on it. If you can call it a swimsuit- I called it a few flimsy pieces of cloth barely held together by bits of string. It was a really nice day out, and splashing around in the ocean was really fun. As the day wore on, the discomfort of having Edward around gradually faded, and I was truly able to enjoy myself.

EPOV

"Hey, what are you reading?" I asked. Bella jumped as I crept up on her from behind. I wrapped my arms around her shoulders. She stiffened, but seemed determined not to let me get the better of her. One of Bella's brothers, the big burly one, seemed to be glaring daggers at me. I quickly relinquished her, but not before taking a big sniff of her hair. An almost overwhelming sense of déjà vu hit me as I staggered from her smell- floral, lilies and freesias, with a hit of vanilla and raspberries. She smelled just like…_her_. Now that I thought about it, Bella was like her in a lot of ways. They had the same quirky, sarcastic sense of humor, and, as I looked down at Bella's book since she didn't seem about to answer my question, they clearly had the same taste in literature as well.

"Wuthering Heights?" I asked, amused. She sniffed.

"Do you have a problem with that?" Bella asked, affronted. I almost laughed when I read the next paragraph- "You said I killed you-haunt me, then! The murdered _do_ haunt their murderers, I believe. I know that ghosts _have_ wandered on earth. Be with me always- take any form- drive me mad! Only do not leave me in this abyss where I cannot find you! Oh, God! It is unutterable! I _cannot_ live without my life! I _cannot_ live without my soul!"

"No…Heathcliff has a point, sometimes," I murmured. She looked at me with an odd expression on her face, surprised that I agreed with the villain in the story. And it was true- I did agree with him, that part at least. I would rather _she_ haunt me in any other form than to be forever gone. Maybe she _was_ haunting me, I thought as I looked at Bella. The two were so alike…a tremendous form of yearning swept through me. I realized then that I was lying to myself. I had to have _her_ and even if she chose to take the form of my worst enemy, then so be it. **(As you can see, Edward thinks Bella is Marie haunting him in a different form. The idiot.)**

BPOV

"Edward, don't eat so much, and don't go swim so soon. You're going to get cramps," Rose scolded. Em just snorted, probably hoping for the worst kind of cramp to befall him.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine," he said, after a wink at me. I rolled my eyes- after reading Wuthering Heights of all books over my shoulder, he seemed to be acting differently. Like he was judging me, no, _appraising_ me. I didn't know what he expected of me, or what he was looking for, but I sure as hell didn't care.

"Show off," Alice muttered, as he began swimming out, probably at least fifty yards out by now. I went back to tanning myself, closing my eyes and just soaking up the sun, when Alice shook me roughly.

"Bella," she asked, her face pale, "is it just me, or is there something wrong with Edward?" I squinted, barely making Edward out- he was just a bronze blob in the deep blue ocean now. He had to be at least one fifty to two hundred yards out now. The blood drained from my face as I realized Alice was right. He seemed to be struggling to stay afloat, sometimes sinking completely under, and he was trying to make his way back to shore, but the waves just carried him further and further out.

"Oh, crap," I muttered. Rose, Emmett and Jasper were about 300 yards away, playing water Frisbee. I didn't think, I just dove in, summoning all my years of lifeguard training for this one crucial moment.

Let's just say getting to Edward wasn't easy. It wasn't a pool- I didn't have any goggles, and the salt water stung my eyes. The waves made it difficult to swim, though the salt made my body feel lighter than usual. Even so, I cut through the water at record speed. Finally, I got to Edward, and I wrapped my arms around his waist, making sure his head was above water. Making it back was pure hell. By the time I could touch ground, Emmett, Rose and Jasper hurried over to me. I collapsed, and crawled back to the beach. Edward was unconscious, and didn't appear to be breathing.

"Edward…Edward, wake up!" Rose cried. Emmett and Jasper just looked on, faces drained of blood.

"Please, Edward, breathe!" Alice begged. I cursed- apparently I was the only one here who could do CPR.

"Move, please," I gasped, walking over to where Edward lay. I took a deep breath, then began to lean in, but hesitated a fraction of a second. I don't know why, but a nagging feeling inside of me told me something wasn't quite right. I knew first hand how good of a swimmer Edward was, and to be helpless due to a simple leg cramp…but I quickly pushed that thought aside as I decided it must have been a REALLY, REALLY bad leg cramp to have hindered his ability to swim that much. Anyway, suspicions or not, I couldn't have a dead person on my conscious. But then, if I knew what was going to happen next, I probably would have walked away, guilt-free, leaving Edward lying there on the ground.

EPOV

As soon as Bella's lips pressed gently on mine, I let out a huge gasp of air. Pretending to be unconscious and not being able to breathe is a hard feat to accomplish, but it was definitely worth it. Bella's mouth was open, in order to do CPR, and she was too surprised to close it, so I easily slipped my tongue inside. With my left hand, I pulled her down on top of me, ignoring her struggles. For a second, all I could think about was the hot, electrifying kiss, different than all the others I'd shared, somehow, and the feeling of her soft body, so sexy and scantily clad in that dark blue bikini, on top of mine…

I was woken up to reality when Bella somehow managed to elbow me in the stomach, hard. I let go with a gasp of pain, and then she slapped me. I gazed at her in disbelief, ignoring the shocked and disgusted expressions of everyone around us. I mean she had just slapped me. _Slapped_ me, and boy did it hurt. Who knew a girl could possess so much strength?

"What the hell, Cullen?" She bellowed, her voice an octave above normal with rage. I inwardly cringed, but just smiled cockily at her. "You freaking, perverted, ungrateful…UGH!"

"Freaking, perverted, ungrateful what, exactly?" I asked.

"I couldn't think of a bad enough name to call you," she seethed.

"Ouch," I put a hand to my heart, acting hurt. "C'mon, it wasn't _that_ bad."

"No, it wasn't that bad," she agreed, "it was a thousand times worse than 'that bad'."

"Personally, I thought it was pretty amazing," I told her truthfully.

"Personally, I think never seeing you again would be pretty amazing," she retorted, before turning around and stomping away.

"Oh, by the way, Em, Jazz," she stopped, before smiling evilly at me, "you can do whatever you want to him now." That was when I took off. Sure, I don't consider myself a coward, but I'm not suicidal. Even so, though she had pretty much signed my death warrant, I couldn't help the huge, lopsided grin that spread over my face when I thought of her. If I was the manifestation of delusional, then Bella Swan was the living incarnation of bizarre.

**A/N: Like it love it hate it? REVIEW!**


	8. Californian Party

**A/N: Thanks to all those people who reviewed and put this under favorite story or story alert! **

EPOV

If I expected the kiss from yesterday to change anything about my relationship with Bella, I was sadly mistaken, as I found out in gym.

"Hey, Bella," I grinned at her. People around us perked up-they'd learned long ago that our conversations could get pretty interesting.

"Yo, Penny-head," she replied in a bored tone. I heard a few snickers, mostly from boys. I barely restrained a grimace- I mean, 'Penny-head', really?

"So, enjoyed the weekend?" I winked at her, "I mean, that was some kiss, wasn't it?" A few people around us gasped.

"That was not a kiss, Cullen, that was sexual assault," she retorted. I felt a now-familiar pang in my chest- she was so much like _her_.

"Speaking of which, how's your cheek, Eddie?" She asked innocently. I glared at her- if _she _was really haunting me through the body of Bella Swan, her spirit had evidently grown a backbone. Wait….did I just think that? Who was I now, some psycho mythology-obsessed freak? Ghosts of ex-girlfriends simply did not come back and haunt their boyfriends. Yes, Bella Swan reminded me of _her_ in every way except in the looks and confidence department. Now that I think of it, they even had the same last name.

"Just fine, thank you," I smiled unconvincingly.

"Oh, really? That's great. How did you catch a ride home from the beach?"

"I have connections."

"Well, that's too bad because I know Emmett and Jasper _really_ wanted to talk to you but you left. Oh well, I'm sure they'll speak to you at lunch." I shivered at the barely concealed threat in her voice. That's it, I was skipping lunch today. See how much Bella Swan had changed my life- I was going to be sitting in the _library_ during lunch unless I wanted to risk potential death from fatal injuries by enduring the wrath of the Swan brothers.

BPOV

After my confrontation with 'Penny-head', Edward had left me alone. Though I strongly suspect the 'talk' Em and Jazz gave him and the bruised jaw that resulted from it had something to do with it. I was delighted, to say the least. I had enough problems of my own without having to deal with an arrogant, idiotic moron with an I.Q. lower than a dead chipmunk's. These problems namely consisted of a college party Rose and Alice somehow convinced me to go to.

"C'mon, Bella! I mean, I know you're new, but Kate and Irina are SUPER nice, and last year the four of us were like _this_," Alice crossed her fingers to demonstrate just how close they were.

"Kate and Irina are your friends, not mine. I certainly no interest in meeting a bunch of beach blonde bimbos and half-shaven smelly apes with an alcohol problem who are certainly going to be at this party."

"But, we really want you to meet them!" Alice exclaimed.

"Fine, how about this- I go to the party, but I get to say when we leave."

"Deal," Rose agreed.

"Yay! You know what this means!" Alice cheered.

"Oh god, please no," Rose moaned in horror.

"Don't be such a wuss, Rose!" Alice pouted, "We're only going to go shopping for bikinis, god!" Ever since she'd discovered I 'only' had 3 bikinis, she'd been nagging worse than a cranky grandmother with a dirty grandson for us to go shopping, and now was the perfect excuse.

As it turned out, 'only going to go shopping for bikinis' meant going to every swimsuit store in L.A. It wasn't until Alice declared we had one more stop that we actually found something.

The store was a pretty small one, but there were enough swimsuits cluttered over the place to supply the population of Haiti with free clothing.

"Hello, Lola!" Alice exclaimed, hugging the pretty Hispanic woman and placing a kiss on her cheek. I rolled my eyes- trust Alice to know all the shopkeepers in California on a first-name basis.

"Hola, Alice!" Lola said gently, "You grow more beautiful, bonita, every time I see you. And who are these lovely young ladies you've brought with you?"

"Oh, this is Rose, my cousin, and Bella, my best friend."

"I'm presuming you want bathing suits for all of you, yes? You three are very good friends, yes? Well then I have just the thing for you," Lola walked briskly to the back of the shop, already seeming to know what we wanted before any of us uttered a word. She came back with three relatively modest bikinis. One was in red, one in yellow and the last in blue, but what caught my eye were the words on the bottom half of it. The red one had the word Best, the yellow had the word Friends, and the last one had the word Forever. The words were written in a white, elegant script.

"OMG, Lola, you're a genius! C'mon, we have to try these on!"

"Sure, Alice, but I get the red one."

"No prob, I wanted the one that said 'Friends' anyway."

"Guess I get 'Forever' then," I said softly, with a small smile. Stripping down in Lola's changing rooms, I hurriedly put it on, then gaped at myself in the mirror. The dark blue made my pale skin seem almost luminous, and it brought out the red flush on my cheeks, making my eyelashes seem longer, my eyes wider, shinier and almost exotic. It also portrayed my body at an excellent angle, making my waist seem narrower, my bust area not too big, but not too small either. Also, it made my legs look about three inches longer, always a plus. When I came out, I saw Alice and Rose looking absolutely gorgeous. Rose looked me up and down before simply uttering, "This one's a keeper."

It was the day of the party. We spent about half and hour arguing about completely pointless topics, like whether we should arrive early, or 'fashionably late', as Alice put it. Finally, we decided on 'fashionably late.' Ali and I grudgingly agreed to get there in Rose's car. Ali rode shotgun while I sat in the back. Rose gave the boys (Em and Jazz had insisted accompanying their baby sis to a college party) a call, and we were off.

"Alice, keep this up and my ears will fall off," Rose covered grimaced as Alice kept howling some random, weird country song…or was it rock? I couldn't tell. Alice kept on howling.

"Alice, if you don't stop and change the radio channel _right now_ I'll kick you out!" Rose threatened. Alice stuck her tongue out at her, but unwillingly complied. A slow smile spread over my face as the notes of Katy Perry's new hit song 'California Gurls' came on. Rose, Alice and I all grinned at each other before simultaneously bursting into song as the chorus came on:

_California girls, we're unforgettable_

_ Daisy Dukes, bikinis on top, _

_ Sun-kissed skin, so hot will melt your popsicle._

_ California girls, we're undeniable, _

_ Fine, fresh, fierce, we got it on lock,_

_ West coast represent, now put your hands up!_

_ Woah, ooh ooh_

I laughed, waving my hands in the air. Alice grinned, and copied my movements. Both of us clenched our sides shaking with giggles as Rose did her Snoop Dog imitation. Our fun was interrupted when my phone vibrated.

"What?" I hissed as I saw the number. How he got my phone number, I'll never know.

"Are you _trying_ to cause a traffic accident?" He hissed back. I craned my neck before I saw him, driving his silver Volvo. Now that he mentioned it, I actually took a good look around. He was right- the entire male population around us was gaping at us. Not that I was going to let that stop our fun.

"What are you complaining about? Are you trying to say you didn't like it?" I teased. Edward glared back at me, but his jaw dropped open and his eyes glazed over when I tossed my hair over to the side, winked, and blew him a kiss.

"Close your mouth or else you'll catch flies," I smirked, closing my phone with a snap.

"Who was that?" Rose asked, momentarily pausing her singing.

"No one," I said cheerfully.

"I love this song," Alice sighed.

"Well, it beats the other song you were singing," Rose teased. Alice shot her a look.

"I like it too. It's what we are," I said. "California girls, I mean," I explained to their confused looks. It was true- I mean, here we were sitting in a convertible in bikinis. The sun made us all look radiant, and made even my pale skin look like a light golden brown. No wonder we were attracting so many looks.

As soon as we pulled into Kate and Irina's home, Alice jumped out of the car and ran down the driveway, dodging cars as she did so, and literally leaped onto a stunned looking girl with white-blonde hair.

"Irina! OMG, it's so good to see you again!" She squealed.

"Way to make an entrance, Ali," I said, rolling my eyes. Then, I turned to the blonde and smiled. "Hi. I'm Bella."

"So you're the newbie Alice has been going on about," she said, eyes slightly narrowed as she appraised me.

"That's me. Are you the oldie Alice has been going on about?" She laughed, then said in a much warmer tone, "Yes, I guess. I'm Irina, and this is my sister Kate." Irina pointed to a girl with cornstalk colored pencil straight hair that had just walked out of the house.

"Bella! It's so good to finally meet you in person. You're Alice and Rose's new best friend? If that's the case, I wish you the best of luck."

"Hey!" Rose smacked the back of Kate's head.

"Okay, girls, should we make our entrance now or wait for the boys?" I asked.

"Make our entrance," Rose answered immediately.

"So how should we make our big entrance?" Alice mused.

"I say just wing it," I offered. That said, we linked arms and strutted behind the house and into the pool area. It turns out that's really all we needed to do- the second we came into view, all eyes gravitated toward us. Unable to resist, I turned to the others and mouthed 'cannonball.' Rose grinned and sprinted toward the diving board. She decided to go classic, wrapping her arms around her knees and making so big a splash that I was surprised the pool still held water. Alice went next, doing some sort of weird twist in midair before hitting the water BACKWARDS. Finally it was my turn. Taking a deep breath, I ran gracefully toward the diving board. Once on it, I didn't slow down, leaping off it, doing a double flip in the air before hitting the water with barely a splash. When I resurfaced, there was a dead silence, which was broken by Emmett holding up a piece of paper with a huge number 10 on it, written in red marker.

"Hell, yeah! That's my sis!" He boomed, obviously proud. I just smirked, before swimming over to the edge. "Thanks, bro," I said. Then, looking straight at Edward, I purposely shook my wet hair at him, effectively spraying him with the freezing chlorine water. Everything was going fine, I was making fast friends with Kate and Irina, flirted with a couple of college boys, and underwent an incredible chicken fight, until Kate pulled out the beer. I had learned long ago that with boys and beer, it was stand up for yourself or die. It was like the alcohol unleashed the part of the male brain that controlled stupidity and cruelty. Unfortunately, poor Alice was a victim of this.

"Ouch!" She cried as a chicken nugget beaned her in the back of her head. A soda can followed, as did a smoothie cup. The cup was still half full with smoothie and the impact had knocked the cap off, effectively dousing Alice with a strawberry-banana gooey mess. Rose growled, and got up stomping toward the direction of the douchebags who'd done this. I got there first, grabbing my purse as I went, a revenge plan already forming. I reached in my bag and retrieved a small bottle. Making sure no one was looking, I dumped half the bottle's contents in my own drink, a deep red Hawaiian punch.

"Look," I snarled, poking the leader of the group in the chest, holding up the chicken nugget and the can of smoothie, "this is food. Since you seem to be too stupid to figure it out, you, as well as other human beings, eat food. When you're done eating, you throw the trash out, and last time I checked, the trash can was over _there_," I pointed in the opposite direction Alice was in.

"And how exactly is that any of your business?" He yelled, obviously drunk. "Do you know who I am? Who do you think you are?" I noticed Edward looking at me intently. This only inflamed my ire. How dare he hang out with the people who hurt his _cousin_? He wasn't even standing up for her, leaving that to me. I ignored him.

"I don't know who the hell you are, and I sure don't give a damn. But I'll tell you who _I_ am- I'm the girl who stands up for her friends, who stands up in what she believes is right, the girl who you don't want to get on the bad side of, and most of all, I'm the girl who's not afraid to do _this_." On the word 'this', my fist connected with his nose. There was an awful crunching sound, then a whole lot of blood.

"What's your problem?" He bellowed, clutching his nose, eyes watering in pain to my satisfaction. I noticed that once again, the pool had gone dead silent, every eye on me and the wretched guy in front of me. "It was a bit of fun, that's all- can't you take a joke?" He eyed me warily.

"Oh, it was a joke, was it? Ha, ha, very funny," I said, my eyes narrowed in my deadliest expression. "Well then, you won't mind if I have some fun of my own, right?" With that, I dumped my cup's contents on him and watched as his expression went from shock, to horror and finally to agony as he rolled around on the floor clutching his face in agony.

"Tip for the future- NEVER mess with a cop's daughter again, got it? Or else you'll end up with something a lot worse than half a bottle of pepper spray poured on you."

I started to turn away, but stopped. Fishing around in my purse, I found what I was looking for- a pad of Post-it notes and a pen. Scribbling something hurriedly on it, I peeled the top paper off and stuck it to Pepper-spray-victim's forehead. "For future reference," I said sweetly, before walking away not trusting myself to see the bloke's expression when he realized I stuck a map of the way to the trashcan on his head. Just when I turned to walk away, I happened to glance at Edward's face. The expression in his eyes startled me- they showed nothing but admiration for the way I'd stood up for his cousin where he'd been too cowardly to do so. That day Bella gained something of Edward Cullen's that Marie never had: Respect. Too bad he'd long since lost mine.


	9. Drunken Remembrance

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews, people! This chapter is extra long, and is VERY important, so if you don't review, I shall be mad. It starts right after Bella sticks a post-it note to the doofus who chucked food at Alice.**

EPOV

Bella's eyes met mine, and a rush of shame swept through me as I read the disappointment and disdain there. _I'm sorry_, I thought, but out loud I said nothing. How could I? Nothing could excuse my behavior. That was my own cousin that was ridiculed and embarrassed there, yet I did nothing except continue hanging out with the douche who had caused Alice's pain. It was Bella who had come to the rescue, who had gotten revenge, who was there for Alice when I…wasn't. At that moment, a foreign feeling welled up inside me. It was several moments before I could place it- admiration, respect. Acceptance. Something I'd never, _ever _felt for any human being before- not even myself. It was at that moment that I realized I wanted to get to know Bella Swan. I wanted to know everything about her, and one day, maybe earn her trust and respect. Of course, I should have known that was more easier said than done.

Being the scardy-cat I was, I waited until next weekend to make my move, when Bella's bros had finally manned up and asked Alice and Rosalie on a double date. They were going north to San Francisco where they'd spend the night with my uncle and aunt (Carlisle and Esme) and watch a football game. Bella approved wholeheartedly, and said, I quote, when a nervous Alice broke the news to her, "Even though watching you two make out with my big brothers will look sooo wrong to me in sooo many ways, I am so happy for you!" She ended with a squeal. Secretly, I approved too. Alice and Jasper, as well as Rose and Emmett were made for each other. They had just left from Bella's driveway, Bella basically kicking them out of the house, scoffing at their concerns about her being all alone for the weekend. I was there under the excuse of helping my cousins shove their king-size suitcases into the back of their overly-ostentatious sports cars. Bella sighed, then resumed glaring at me.

"Is there something I can help you with?" I internally cringed at her hostile tone. Ever since Kate's party, she couldn't even be in a room with me, without looking like she wished death upon me in ten different agonizing ways.

"Um…not particularly," I muttered.

"Then may I ask why you are still here?" She asked, her voice clipped.

"Look…I wanted to talk to you. About the party…I'm sorry." God, I couldn't even form full sentences. She barely glanced at me.

"Don't apologize to me. Apologize to _Alice_. Who was completely ashamed that her best friend had to help her out while her idiotic ape-like cousin sat laughing with the same bastard who'd mistaken her for a trash can, by the way." It was official- nothing about this conversation was turning out right.

"Bella, can't we just come to a truce?" I blurted out. So I wasn't good with apologies and getting girls to forgive me when I was used to them throwing themselves at my feet, practically worshipping the ground I walked on. Sue me.

"A truce? Like détente?" She asked, slowly.

"No…like friends." I said softly. Bella froze and sat completely motionless for so long that I started to worry.

"Um…Bella?" I asked anxiously when I counted to two minutes in my head. She snapped out of it.

"No." Her voice was emotionless, cold, no doubt in that single word.

"Excuse me?" I really don't know why I was so surprised she had rejected my friendship offer, but I was. She turned to face me, and I was startled to see her eyes positively blazing in anger.

"I said no. Who do you think you are, exactly? Is this some sort of sick _joke_? Something to help you in your quest to 'win me over'? Honestly, Edward, why can't you get it in your head that I want nothing to do with you?"

"Wait, what?" I asked stupidly.

"You want to know why I don't want to have anything to do with you? Why I don't want to be your _friend_? Hmm…let me see, I can name off at least 7 girls who have cried for months and have trust issues dealing with love because of you and your lies, telling them they're beautiful, and then leaving them once you've gotten what you want, so they wake up alone and abandoned. You can't remember half their names, and never once do you acknowledge them again. You're the worst player I've ever seen, you've broken Carlisle and Esme's hearts, and they love you like a son, love you maybe even as much as they love Alice and Rose. You've let them down terribly. Don't even get me started on Alice and Rose- do you know how much you disgust them? To the point that they didn't even mention to me about you, at first, afraid that I would judge them because of you. And that party…you just sat there, indifferent, while your little cousin gets a smoothie thrown at the back of her head. You're a big-brother figure to her, Edward. She confided to me that however much you ignore her and tease her, she always thought that you loved her and would stand up for her if she truly needed you. But guess who dumped that glass of Hawaiian punch spiked with pepper spray on top of your jerkwad buddy there, Edward? Guess who comforted her afterward? Me! And you wonder why I can't _stand_ you- it's because to you, reputation always comes first! Please enlighten me, because I can't seem to understand, why the opinions of a few plastic Barbie dolls and moronic dogs matters so much to you! It's always, how will this affect my reputation, or will people think I'm a geek if I do that…because that _is_ the reason you didn't stand up for Ali that day, correct? You were afraid to offend that big, college buddy. And _that_ is the number one reason we will not get along. I can't be friends with a coward, Edward." With that, she stomped away, and slammed the front door to her house in my face. I just sat there, stupefied. Her words…they had shaken me to the core. Shaking my head, I told myself firmly that I really, really needed a drink. I needed to just forget.

BPOV

I _cannot_ believe him! To think that after everything that's happened, that he can think that he can just waltz back (not that he was ever in them) into my good graces and make us 'friends.' He really believed it too- I saw the confident glint in his eye. After several hours of pacing back and forth in my house, I decided I needed to get out of the house. Never mind that it was pouring rain outside- I really needed to take myself for a drive.

I really wasn't paying attention to where I was going, driving down random streets and roads. It was a few hundred yards from a drinking club- how did I get there again?- that I stopped. On the sidewalk was a large, dark lump. I gasped as the realization hit me- Oh my freaking god, is that a _person? _Without a second thought, I jumped out of my car and sprinted over to the person passed out on the sidewalk. Getting closer, I groaned as I caught sight of a familiar head of bronze hair. Sure enough, I saw Mr. Dickward's stupid, shiny, silver Volvo a couple hundred meters down in the opposite direction from where the moron had been walking. He was _that_ drunk. I glanced around, unsure. Yeah, I was irritated beyond belief with him right now, but I couldn't just _leave_ him here. But where would I take them? His aunt and uncle were following Emmett, Jazz, Rose and Ali to Frisco to make sure they were 'careful.' More like making sure they didn't have sex and came home pregnant. It was still pouring rain. I cursed as I made up my mind. Arrogant penny-head or not, I couldn't just walk away from him right now. He'd probably get hypothermia, or pneumonia.

Have you ever tried dragging a two hundred and something pound, 6'2" tall male a couple of meters to your car, while you only weigh about 115 pounds? It's not the easiest task, I assure you. But with several unprintable, obscene curses, two swollen, cramped arms, and several kicks to Drunkward's ankles in anger, I managed it. I sighed unhappily as I basically dropped Edward into my baby. Call me insane, but I have OCD when it came to my car, and to see a dripping, drooling Edward lying there on my expensive, leather seats pained me beyond measure. The question now was where to take him? I couldn't bring him to his house- it was empty, and I didn't have a key. If I brought him to the hospital, Carlisle would inevitably find out and would cut his trip to San Francisco short. I didn't want to ruin my brothers', and best friends' weekend either- if I called them, they would hurry back here, frantic. No, that would not do. The only option was to take him to my house, and that realization brought on another round of curses.

Dragging Edward up the stairs, through the door and into the living room onto the sofa required another half hour of hard labor. Really, what did I ever do to deserve this? My anger soon faded as I gazed at Edward. Seeing him sniffling, still 90% unconscious and completely helpless had brought out my soft side. No matter what my feelings towards him were now, he was still the boy I once loved. Concerned, I brought my hand up to his forehead. He was shivering and for the millionth time today, I cursed- but this time it was because of my stupidity. Yes, I had brought him out of the rain, but that wasn't nearly enough. His wet clothes would cause him to come down with some deadly disease, like smallpox, I was sure. I needed to get him out of those, warm him up, and fast. I could always change him, but the thought of undressing Edward Cullen, and seeing him…naked would make me EXTREMELY uncomfortable. Suddenly, it was like a light bulb went off inside my head and I grinned, congratulating myself for the genius idea I had come up with. Hurrying upstairs, I returned shortly with a hairdryer.

Blowing off the steaming tip of my trusted hairdryer, a victorious smile spread over my face. Not only had I gotten Edward dry, but I had also warmed him up. That smile soon faded as I brought my hand to Edward's forehead again. The cold rainwater had concealed the fact that he was burning up. My imagination immediately overreacted, conjuring up scenarios of Edward in the ER with a 102 degree fever, a hysterical Alice, a crying Rosalie, a scared Esme and an angry Carlisle before jumping to an image of a funeral and white flowers. Shaking my head to rid myself of these irrational visions, I scoffed at myself. It was the 21st century, for God's sake! Nowadays, people didn't die because of an innocent fever. Even so, my reasoning did not entirely ease my panic. _What would Mother do?_ I thought frantically. No good, Renee was dead by my 5th birthday. Still, I had hazy memories of her soothing, gentle voice while spooning hot soup down my throat. Soup! That's it! Jumping off the ground, I ran to the kitchen. Ten minutes later, I was back with a huge bowl of Campbell's chicken noodle soup and a bottle of Tylenol.

"Edward," I said gently, "Edward, wake up." He opened one eyelid blearily. "Open up, Edward." Normally I would have made a joke about how horrific his normally pretty face was, but when a person is raging with a fever, you don't do those kinds of things. Instead, you do nice things to them like coaxing hot, delicious soup down his throat, despite the fact that he's your worse enemy.

"Almost done, Edward. Just a few more spoonfuls, and you'll feel better, I promise," I cooed as he choked on the spoonful of Tylenol. The second he was done, he laid back and I tried not to laugh at the sight of his big limbs sprawled all over my tiny couch.

"That doesn't look too comfortable. Let's get you in bed," I grinned, half supporting a slightly awake Edward as we limped up the stairs together. I led him down the hallway to the guest room and gently helped him into bed since he was obviously in no condition to do so. I'd never admit it, but playing the role of Mama Bear taking care of a sick Baby Bear was kinda fun. He crawled under the covers, struggling to keep his eyes open. I turned around, turning off the lights, and was about to leave when he uttered one word that completely stopped me in my tracks. "Marie." I gasped, whirling around. Was he awake? He was thrashing around slightly in the covers, and I guessed he was not asleep, but was not fully awake either. Instead, he was delirious. Of course, when he finally recognizes me, it's in some delusional, alcohol-induced haze. In fact, he probably didn't recognize me at all, he's just hallucinating, or having a very realistic dream.

"Marie, don't leave," he begged. At that moment, I should have just turned around and left, but I was too curious as to what he had to say. So I went back and lightly brushed his hair back from his forehead. "Shh, I'm not going anywhere," I soothed. He relaxed slightly, but continued stubbornly, "You left once, you know. You left me all broken. Not that I blame you- even mom doesn't blame you." I just waited patiently, despite my raging curiosity. "I deserved it. Funny how during those two years we dated, I'd always thought that it was you who was getting the better end of the deal, not me? It was only when you left that I realized just how lucky I was. Not every girl puts up with that kind of shit you went through." He broke off for a moment, before continuing, musing, "What must you have gone through? I really can't imagine. Yet even though I treated you like scum, I always loved you. I was an idiot for not making sure you knew that every second you spent with me, but now it's too late." Tears were running down my cheeks, but I didn't, couldn't try to stop his ranting. I needed to hear what he had to say to me, no _Marie._ "Terry was the one who told me you were leaving. I honestly didn't know. I begged mom to drive me to the airport, only to see your plane take off. Why I did that, I don't know. Was it to beg you not to leave me? Again, I don't know." Edward broke off, mumbling incoherently for a few seconds. It was almost comical that it was when he was massively drunk that Edward seemed the most lucid. Right now, unshielded and vulnerable, Edward Cullen seemed almost…human. "Surprisingly, it was your last words to me that haunt me the most. I was young at the time, I didn't understand why you would never kiss me. Now, years later, I think I do. It's because that even while you loved me, there was a part, deep down, that distrusted me. That hated me."

"You're wrong." I whispered. "Back then, I could never hate you, could never even fathom hating you the way I do now."

"See, but that's not true," Edward contradicted, "Why were you so upset that day I kissed Tanya? I'd done it before, but you would brush it off. It's because each time I hurt you, I came one step closer to breaking your control. That day, all the anger, pain, sadness, doubt, hate, and betrayal became too much and you exploded, like a volcano. You've always had the most self control out of anyone I've met. This only makes it worse since I know exactly how much I must have had to push you to break your love for me. I can't tell you how sorry I am for that, and I hope you've found someone better, someone who won't make you cry. God, I can't believe how crazy I am right now, talking to you while you're nothing more than a vision." _But I'm not!_ I wanted to scream. _I'm right here! Real as life, and definitely not a vision!_ But I didn't. He needed to discover who I was by himself, and if I was going to tell him who Bella Swan once was, I most definitely would not tell him when he was not in his right mind, and would forget everything in the morning anyways.

"One last thing you should know before you go, though," he mumbled, his voice getting quieter, "Four years ago, I never told you I loved you, even though you said it to me, numerous times, but I did. Even now, I st…" His voice trailed off into nothing, replaced by soft snores. I wanted to bang my head on the wall in frustration. What had he been about to say? It was so unfair that he was able to drift off into peaceful, oblivious sleep while I was here nearly crying because of my insatiable, _burning_ curiosity. Tiptoeing outside, I quietly closed the door before sinking to the ground, my mind unable to comprehend what I had just heard. Parts of what Edward had just said ran through my mind: _How lucky I was. Exploded, like a volcano. I can't tell you how sorry I am. I always loved you._ They all boiled down to one question: What did it all mean?

To that, I received no answer.


	10. Detente: a tentative truce

**A/N: Hey, sorry I'm a little late with the updating, but I have had finals and regents EVERY day this week, except Saturday, and I'm super busy. However, I'll update more often once summer vacation starts.**

BPOV

I heard Edward moaning in pain from his hangover in bed, and knew he was liable to wake up any moment now. As for me, I was a nervous wreck. How was I supposed to act around him, now that I knew he had once loved me? Now that I knew just how sorry he was and caught a glimpse at the insecure, tormented boy Edward Cullen really was (and because of me, too) under all the bravado, I knew that even if I tried, I couldn't go back to hating him. At least with not the same degree of hatred. My hands fluttered around nervously, preparing my second batch of muffins with one hand while cracking open an egg with my other. Cooking had always served to calm me down a bit, and today was no exception.

EPOV

I kept my eyes closed, trying to put off the inevitable task of waking up as long as possible. The image of _her_ was still fresh in my mind. I'd had dreams of her before, of course, but last night was…something else. Never before had I seen her so clearly. It had been such a good dream. She was walking towards me, an aura of pure, white light around her form. In my dream, she had comforted me and held me while I babbled out my nearly incoherent apologies. Though I didn't know if she forgave me or not (probably the latter) the thought of _her_ and the peaceful oblivion that was sleep was definitely preferable to the raging hangover that I was trying to avoid by remaining asleep. I groaned, opening my eyes, and then gasped with shock. Great, I wasn't in my own room. So where was I? Not that sleeping around was uncommon for me or anything, but I usually didn't wake up in the girl's room. I almost always made it back to my own house, even if it was at four in the morning. Wow, I must have been _really_ drunk.

At that moment, the door opened and Bella stepped in. "Well, I'm glad to see that the living dead has finally awakened," she teased lightheartedly. I looked up at her in surprise and happiness and not just because she was holding a platter of absolute heaven in her arms filled to the brink with omelets, sausages, bacon, muffins and pancakes, but because this was the nicest she'd ever been to me. And then it clicked, and my goofy grin slid right off my face as I stared at her in horror. There was really only one answer, and right now I was desperately hoping it wasn't true. But what could I expect, really? Waking up in a different bed…in Bella's house…the hangover that proved I was completely stoned last night…Bella's sudden change of mood…but no it _couldn't _be, Bella wouldn't be that stupid, would she? Oh god, if I had taken advantage of her, I'd never forgive myself…

Bella suddenly burst into laughter, taking in my expressions, her brain immediately guessing what I was thinking.

"Oh god, Cullen, no! Don't worry, nothing happened last night. Although I'm kind of offended that you think something did," she answered my thoughts playfully. She wasn't yelling at me yet for my stupidity, which was a plus and also a first. If I wasn't so confused right now, I'd be delighted, but as it was, confusion was still the main thing I was feeling.

"But then…how…what…then why am I here?" I spluttered out. Her response was a smirk.

"Hmm, you really don't remember? How about I help you out a bit…does 'passing out in front of a bar in pouring rain' ring a bell?" A flash of blurry images from yesterday suddenly came to mind- Bella's friendship rejection, me being depressed and drinking a shameful amount of hard liquor at one of my favorite bars, darkness, freezing water dripping all around me, and then the images took on a more positive note. Someone cursing but helping me out of the cold water where I was drowning, a gentle soothing voice as my clothes dried from the hot air blown against them, someone with worried, soft brown eyes spooning hot soup down my parched throat…a lump grew in my throat. I turned to look up at Bella, my eyes a bit moist for her kind actions towards me, so much more than I deserved. "Thank you," I choked out. Her brown eyes, the same ones from last night, softened. "It was no problem." We just stared into each other's eyes for a long moment, until she cleared her throat, breaking the personal bubble we were in.

"Um…your breakfast is getting cold." I immediately started in on it, but wasn't able to eat much due to my headache and stomachache. Bella ate most of it.

"Why did you do it?" I questioned, once my stomach was full.

"Hmm?" She asked.

"Why did you do it?" I repeated.

"Well, I couldn't just leave you there, right?"

"No, I meant why did you go out of the way to take care of me when you could've just dumped me on the front doorstep of the hospital?"

"You don't really think much of me, do you?" She mused. I backtracked, realizing how she would've taken that. "No…I didn't mean…it's just that I'm obviously not your favorite person and all…and I didn't know why you would go to all the trouble…" My voice trailed off, uncertainly. She sighed, and looked at me wearily.  
"If I'd taken you to the hospital, Carlisle would've been informed, and I didn't want to ruin everyone's weekend. Em and Rose, as well as Ali and Jazz were supposed to get together, and I didn't think you would want to be the reason they didn't." Again, I was astounded by Bella's compassion and thoughtfulness, which made me feel guilty that I was causing her so much trouble.

"Well…I've intruded on your property long enough…so I'll go now, I guess," I said awkwardly. She nodded. "Of course. Your car is still outside the bar, so I'll drop you off?" I nodded back to her, then got up. I took too steps before a massive wave of dizziness hit me and my legs gave out. Bella caught me before I completely collapsed.

"Whoa there," she laughed, "You're not going anywhere for now. I won't waste all the work I did last night making sure you didn't catch pneumonia and die by driving you to get your car and watch you die because of a driving accident." I smiled, not minding at all. That meant I got to spend more time with Bella. In all honesty, I was kind of afraid to leave, afraid that once I was well again, Bella would go back to ignoring me at all costs. Plus, though I'd never admit it, I enjoyed immensely the Bella that was in Mama Bear mode. I had missed being pampered and fussed over more than any dignified man would care to admit.

"Why are you being so nice to me today?" I asked.

"Why? Do you want me to go back to being a bitch?" She asked, one corner of her lip twitching.

"NO! I mean, no, I don't," I replied, flustered. Her lip twitched again. What was it about Bella Swan that made it so easy for her to make me nervous? I cared about her opinion more than I cared about anyone other's. Must be because she was the one human being on earth that I actually respected.

"Okay, then, if you must know, I guess I wasn't being fair to you yesterday. I won't deny that I was a bit harsh, when all you wanted to do was to make amends and be friends. So I was thinking about taking you up on that friendship offer, if it still stands." I guessed that that wasn't the entire reason for her being so friendly today, but I was too happy that she too was willing to make amends to care.

"Of course. So, friends?" I asked, holding out my hand. She laughed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, and shook my hand. "Friends. But, however, there are a few conditions." Bella looked at me sternly. I gulped. "First off, when I say friends, I do not mean 'friends with benefits,' I mean _only_ friends. No false expectations of me." I nodded- that was easy. Besides, I was pretty sure the only person I could ever love would be _her_ and I think she was in Arizona right now. Didn't she move to Phoenix?

"Second of all, you have to apologize to your family for the way you've been acting. I will be there, to make sure you did it." I nodded again- that was reasonable, and it had to be done.

"Third of all…" She hesitated for a second, before continuing in a menacing tone, "Lead another girl on and break her heart, and I will make sure your face and my fist will become _very_ well acquainted. Get my drift?"

"Yes," I muttered, honestly a little afraid right now. Basically she was telling me to quit my playboy ways. Well, it was to be expected.

"Good," she smiled. "Well, if we have nothing to do, want to watch a movie? I love Nicholas Sparks, so let's watch The Notebook." Since I was only just barely Bella's new friend, I decided not to argue. "Sure."

Note to self- _never_ watch any movie with any kind of tragedy with Bella Swan again. The movie had just ended and currently, Bella was bawling into my shirt. Not that I didn't enjoy holding her and 'comforting' her- I was a guy, after all, and Bella was one gorgeous girl- but crying girls always made me uncomfortable. However, when I wrapped my arms around her, Bella stiffened, and I thought I heard her mutter, "Friends, just friends, he's just being friendly, and friends hug each other. Don't freak out," but I couldn't be sure. I wasn't sure what to distract her with- another movie? She'd mentioned she liked the Titanic, but I wasn't ready to risk that yet. Knowing Bella, she'd probably flood the house with her tears.

"I'm…sorry, I'm just…super emotional…when it comes to movies, you know?" She apologized between sobs. "It's stupid…really. When I was…four, I had my…first sleepover at a friend's house. We were watching…the Lion King, and my friend's mom…had to send me home because I was crying so hard. Just how pathetic is that?" I was still trying to think of ways to distract her, but my stomach beat me to it. Bella felt it growl against her head, and sat up, smiling through her tears. "You're hungry. I'll be right back." She made her way downstairs and came back twenty minutes later with a plate full of BLTs, a bag of chips, and two sodas. She watched me eat for a while, before saying, once I was done with ¾ of the jumbo bag of chips, and two BLTs, "You know, for someone who supposedly has a light fever, a headache, and a massive hangover, you sure eat a lot."

"Um…well," I stuttered. Truth was, half an hour into the movie, my hangover had completely worn off, but I was enjoying Bella's company too much to tell her so. I didn't want her to go. Judging by the smirk playing around the edges of Bella's lips, she knew it too. "Aww, that's real sweet Ed. I'm flattered that you like me so much." She taunted. "You're even faking illness to spend more time with me." _God, kill me now. _I stiffened, before relaxing. "The awkward, bumbling side of you is kind of cute, by the way," she giggled. Of course, our moment was ruined only seconds later.

"Bella! I know this is really stupid to ask you, since you hate him, but have you seen Edward? I can't find him anywhere, and he won't answer his phone!" I heard my annoying pixie cousin barging upstairs. "Where are you…" Her voice trailed off as the guest room door burst open and her jaw dropped, upon seeing us sitting on the same bed, clearly disregarding the popcorn bowl and the good six inches of space between us. Obviously, she'd thought we'd hooked up over the weekend and were now sleeping together. _I wish,_ I thought, before mentally smacking my head on the wall. Why was I such a perv? A few minutes later, Rose, Emmett and Jazz joined her. "What's going on…oh." Rose gaped at us. Emmett and Jazz wore equal looks of incredulity on their faces, before the shock and disbelief gave way to pure, unadulterated rage.

"Guys, it's not what it looks like," Bella sighed, rolling her eyes. "Edward here passed out on the sidewalk in front of a bar yesterday in the rain."

"OMG, Edward, are you all right?" Alice asked, concerned. Bella glared at Alice and she shut up.

"Anyway, as I was saying, he passed out. I didn't want to ruin your weekend by contacting any of you, so I brought him here. He's still a little sick, which is why he's still here. This morning, we came to a truce, and he's now officially my friend."

"Uh-huh," Alice said disbelieving. "Sure. C'mon, we have lots to talk about." She then grabbed Bella's arm and dragged her away, with Rosalie following, leaving me alone with Emmett and Jasper, who had murderous glares on their faces. I gulped- _This couldn't be good._ "Have fun dealing with Eddie boy, bros!" She called over her shoulder. Okay, so maybe I hadn't won her over completely if she was this willing to feed me to the sharks.

**A/N: REVIEW! Will update soon if I get over 100 reviews! Kay, E and B will become closer next chapter. I have this AWESOMELY HILARIOUS idea planned out, but that's just my opinion.**


	11. Blind Date

**A/N: Hey everyone! Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed. I got six more than I asked for! That's pretty amazing. I'm hoping to reach 120 reviews? Oh, Bella will not be telling Edward about her past self as Marie. Her line of thinking goes something like this: She thinks it's something he needs to figure out by himself. Truth be told, she's still hurt that Edward even NEEDS her to tell him who she was. It's just something you'd expect him to realize right away, instead of needing someone to tell him. Also, since he hasn't realized who she is by now, he won't be realizing it anytime soon. Just wait a few chapters and be patient with me, k? **

EPOV

I gulped as I stared into Bella's brothers' threatening gazes. "Um…hi?" I squeaked. Jasper sighed. "Relax, we're not going to kill you…yet, anyway. You're Bella's friend, and we don't hurt her friends. Boyfriend, persistent lover, maybe, but not her friend."

"Cut the crap, Jazz," Emmett said, rolling his eyes. He then turned to me, cracking his knuckles menacingly. "The real reason you're not on the ground begging for mercy right now is because we know our sister isn't stupid enough to fall for your tricks. It would be an insult to her intelligence for us to think that she'd ever consider wanting you." Well that did loads to help my ego. Not.

"However," Emmett continued, "we must set up a few rules." I could see how Emmett and Bella were siblings. "You do not _look_ at my sister. You do not _talk_ about her and spread false rumors about her. You most certainly do not _touch_ my sister, and you will be nothing short of the amazing, understanding, always-there-for-her, perfect friend that she deserves. Got it?" I nodded quickly. So call me a coward but those muscles were HUGE. It's a miracle Bella ever managed to get a boyfriend.

"So basically, it all comes down to one rule. You hurt her, we hurt you, only a thousand times worse." And then they turned and left the room, leaving me standing there, completely shell-shocked.

BPOV

"Okay, spill. What's going on with you and my cousin?" Rosalie demanded. I sighed. "I told you, and I'll tell you again: absolutely nothing. The only reason he's at my house is because taking him to the hospital would ruin your weekend and I didn't want that. Also, I figured you wouldn't be too happy if I let him die. He's stayed as long as he did because he had this massive hangover and a minor fever and couldn't walk straight." I said all this confidently. "Besides…you can't honestly think that after all that's happened, all that he's done to me, that I'd be so idiotic as to consider him for a second?" I had them there. "If he can't even recognize his ex-girlfriend of two years…well, don't you think he'd have lost every appeal he might have had to me?"

"Okay…if you really don't like Edward, then prove it." Alice stated.

"Wait…what?" I gasped.

"I said prove it. Go on a blind date with someone. Rose and I'll take care of who you'll go with."

"I don't need to prove it," I said irritably, "and I don't do blind dates."

"C'mon Bells, you need to get out more in the romance department!" Rose whined. I considered it for a moment. It couldn't be that bad, and it would get Rose and Ali off my back about Edward. "Fine. I'm in, but make sure you pick someone good.

The instant I set eyes on him, I immediately regretted my decision. Apparently since I refused to go on a date with anything resembling a pervert, it seems that my best friends have set me on a date with a stiff, serious guy who probably had the mind of a ninety year old and who wouldn't be able to tell what a joke was if it kicked him in the you-know-what.

"I can't go with him!" I hissed. I was at Alice and Rose's house since they wanted to get me ready for my 'date.'

"Why not? Fred is a very nice guy and he's pretty decent looking if I say so myself."

"Actually, it's Frederick." He interrupted. I could see the beads of spit gathering at the edges of his mouth, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down in his thin, scrawny throat. Three words: Shoot. Me. Now.

"Only that he's dressed like my deceased Grandpa Joe and he's got the body of a toothpick." I pointed out in a quieter voice so _Frederick_ couldn't hear.

"Okay, I admit he's nothing on Edward," insert choke here, "but he's not a pervert."

"So you find me a complete computer geek."

"Well, it's too late now, and I didn't dress you up like this for nothing," Rose interrupted. Of course, at this instant, Edward had to walk downstairs.

"Hey Bella," he said, eyeing my low cut green blouse and miniskirt that my own date hadn't even glanced at, "Got a hot date for tonight?" he asked, not noticing Frederick standing in the doorway. I don't know why, but something about his teasing grin seemed forced. "Something like that," I muttered under my breath.

"Oh!" Edward exclaimed in surprise, only just noticing Freddie, "I'm Edward Cullen." Again, his friendly tone seemed…not quite genuine.

"Greetings," Frederick said stiffly, pulling on his cheap polyester collar, "I'm Frederick Wilson. Now if you'll excuse us, Isabella and I are on a time schedule, and our reservation is in twenty minutes. Isabella," He offered me his arm. I cast my best friends- soon to be ex-best friends- a pleading look which they ignored, instead beaming and shoving me out the door.

The car ride was awkward. It was only when we arrived at the restaurant- some 3-star French place that might as well have pincushions for seats with how comfortable the place was- that Frederick decided that it might be suitable for him to start a conversation.

"So Isabella," he began, "I hear you are a most excellent student. Pray tell, to which colleges are you planning on applying to?" Who was he, my dad?

"Uh…I'm not quite sure yet. I mean, I'm only a sophomore." I said, uncertainly. I tuned him out after that. I was in the middle of picturing Frederick as a highly pompous French poodle while twirling my pasta around with my fork when I realized he was actually speaking to me.

"Isabella?" He asked, despite that I'd asked him to call me Bella at least twelve times.

"Huh?" I asked, brought out of my daze.

"You know, Isabella, it's not polite to daydream while in the middle of a civilized conversation. Frankly, it displays a lack of proper decorum and gentility." Speaking of 'lack of proper decorum and gentility', at that moment, Fred the Snob choked on the piece of chicken he was chewing, spewing a mess of half-chewed chicken, spinach and saliva straight at my face.

"Oh, dear me, I'm so sorry," Frederick said, dabbing at the edges of his lips with his napkin, completely unconcerned. What kind of guy is he?

"Excuse me," I muttered, making a beeline for the bathroom, all but sprinting there. Ignoring a very startled old lady's stare, I began washing my face.

"Ugh!" I exclaimed making said lady jump. "This is the WORST date ever!" There was no way I could face Frederick without swallowing the urge to scream and smack his smug, chicken-and-spinach-chewing face. But what other option did I have? Inspiration came to me in the form of a window. Yes, I could call off the date by feigning sickness, but where was the fun in that? Somehow, by being so pretentious, Frederick brought out the rebellious side in me. Eternally glad I convinced Alice and Rose to let me wear flats, I climbed on one of the bathroom sinks, hooking my purse over my arm. The bathroom was now empty, leaving no witnesses. Then, I lifted the window up as high as it would go, before pushing my head and shoulders through. Unfortunately, it seems that my so-called rebellious side lacked a brain, and my brilliant idea made it to the title of Stupidest Thing Bella Swan Has Ever Done in a matter of a few minutes. I was stuck in the window from the waist down.

Great. So now I was hanging in a window of this super fancy restaurant, with no way of getting down, with my snobby date bound to check on me in a few minutes. On the up side, life couldn't get much worse than this, right? Wrong-o. It seems that fate really does hate me since at this moment, Edward Cullen just _happened_ to decide to take a stroll, behind the very restaurant where I was eating. He saw me and did a double take. I groaned.

"Bella?" He asked uncertainly. "Are you stuck?"

"No, I'm just hanging halfway out the window like an idiot for the fun of it," I snapped sarcastically. "Besides, what are _you_ doing here? Are you stalking me?"

"No," he replied, "it just so happens that this is a favorite place of mine to walk. Quiet, peaceful, and it smells awesome. I think the real question is, why are _you_ hanging out a window?" I sighed.

"If you must know, after my date spewed on me, I decided I couldn't take another second in his company and decided to escape through a window in the ladies' bathroom. Unfortunately, I found out the hard way that nowadays, engineers don't make the windows _nearly_ as big as they should. Now are you just going to stand there, or are you going to help me get down?"

"Hmm…I don't know. You're quite amusing when you're hanging, helpless, out of a window. Maybe I should just leave you that way." And then he started to walk away. Gritting my teeth, I fished around in my purse for my lipstick before chucking it at Fatward's head with as much force as I could muster. My aim was true and the lipstick hit the back of Edward's stupid bronze head with a satisfying 'thunk'.

"Ow!" He yelled. "What was that for?"

"That was for being a class-A douche bag." I stated smugly. "Now am I going to have to hit you with something much more hard than a lipstick or are you going to help me down?"

"Fine, fine, no need to get violent," he muttered. "Jeez, I'm saving your dignity right now and I don't even get a 'please'."

"Okay then, will you _please_ hurry up and stop being a jerk before Frederick comes in?" I asked sweetly. He grimaced at me, but climbed on top of one of the garbage cans before grabbing my arms and yanking me out. My extra weight made him stumble and before I knew what was happening, we both crash landed off the garbage can and onto the ground with a loud 'oomph.' That was when I realized I was still on top of Edward and our faces were only inches apart.

"Sorry," I mumbled, hurriedly getting off him. Edward didn't reply- in truth, he seemed a bit dazed for some reason. "Um…Edward?"

"Wha- oh, right! Are you okay?" He asked, flustered. I frowned at him- he was acting really weird. "Yeah, I'm okay."

"Say, what was so bad about your date anyway that made you decide to go on this daring escapade?" Edward asked, seeming more like his usual, annoying self.

"Long story," I muttered. He led me over to his car, parked a few spaces down. "Well, I've got time." That was all I needed to go on a rant about how snobby, pretentious, and downright rude dear old Freddie was.

"I mean, seriously, he's like worse than all the crabby old ladies in our cafeteria put together!" I went on. Edward studied my face carefully.

"You know what you need?" He said finally.

"What?" I asked, a bit annoyed that he'd interrupted my ranting.

"Ice cream," he answered cheerfully. "Get in."

Sure enough, ten minutes later, Edward pulled up in front of an ice cream shop that was near a park. It had started raining a little. We went inside, and he ordered Triple Fudge while I ordered mint chocolate chip. It had started raining harder, so Edward pulled me over to his car, where we started eating in comfortable silence. At least, we ate in comfortable silence until Edward made the mistake of accidentally spilling some of his onto my green blouse.

Now let me get this straight. No one, and I mean _no one_, regardless of whether they'd just saved me from a window and an awful date, messes up my outfits. Especially not when by messing them up, they have subjected me to a round of 4-hour-Shopping Torture, brought on by the almighty Alice, all in the name of replacing my messed up outfit. So, when Edward spilled his ice cream on my blouse, I was understandably upset and thirsty for revenge.

"Oh Bella! I'm so sorry," he stammered.

"It's okay, but Edward? You've got something on your face."

"What? No I don't," he said, checking in the mirror.

"Well now you do," I said, smashing my ice cream into his shocked face, smearing it around for good measure. I didn't stay around and wait for him to recover from his shock. The second I finished my job, I hightailed it out of there, practically leaping out of his Volvo and into the park in the now-pouring rain. I'd barely gone five steps when I heard him begin chasing after me in vengeance. It turns out he didn't need to take revenge on me since Mother Nature did it for him. I slipped in the rain and landed straight in a huge mud puddle. Ironically, my outfit was now worse than ever. Edward stopped and began roaring in laughter at my bewildered expression.

"Oh yeah? Well, laugh away _this_," I muttered, scooping up a handful of mud and throwing it at him. It hit him right in his laughing mouth. _Score_.

"Oh man, are you going to get it," he smirked, spitting out mud, "In fact, I advise you to start praying, since you've pretty much just signed your own death sentence."

"Bring it," I challenged, jumping up and running away, already forming my next mud-ball.

Two hours and fifteen minutes later, Edward Cullen and Bella Swan vanished off the face of the earth. In their place stood Mud Alien 1 and Mud Alien 2. Mud Alien 2, formerly known as Bella Swan, sighed as she watched Mud Alien 1, formerly Edward Cullen, place newspapers and plastic bags all over the interior of his car. She couldn't say anything about how OCD he was without sounding hypocritical since she knew that if their roles were reversed, and it was her car, she's be just as fanatical about the well-being of her car as he was about his.

"Please," Edward said, "If you hadn't fallen into that mud puddle, or decided to make such a big deal about the ice cream ACCIDENT, then we wouldn't have to do this right now."

"And whose fault is that?" I retaliated. "If you hadn't ruined my outfit and then started a major mud fight then I would be home by now."

"_I _started the mud fight? How did _I_ start it? It was obviously _you_ who started it!"

"Let's just agree to disagree, okay?" I said wearily. The car ride back to my house was spent in silence. Just before I opened the car door to leave, I hesitated. Then I slugged Edward in the arm, hard.

"Ow!" He cried out.

"That's for ruining my outfit," I explained. Then, before I could chicken out, I leaned up and placed a chaste, gentle kiss right on his muddy left cheek. "And that's for everything else." Just before I beat it out of there, I swore I heard Edward mumble, "I could get used to this," but I wasn't sure.

EPOV

As I watched Bella hurry up the front steps of her house, I pulled away. Then, when I made sure I was far enough away so that there was no way in hell she could see me, I gingerly touched the spot where she'd kissed me. The feeling of her soft, warm lips there…left my skin tingling and my stomach doing flip flops. And God, it wasn't even a real on-the-mouth kiss. But along with the electrifying feeling, the kiss also brought with it a tremendous wave of déjà vu. I couldn't shake off the feeling that this had happened before, but in another place, another time. I just couldn't place my finger on it.

**A/N: P.S. If you don't mind, please check out my other story, Spy High, and review! I'm at 109 reviews and I'm kinda hoping for 110 reviews. If you like this story, with all the B and E antagonism, you SHOULD like Spy High. **


	12. Bella Induced Apologies and Dates

**A/N: OMG, I got so many more reviews than expected! You guys all rock. Oh, in case you're wondering, Bella has to fall in love with Edward again before he finds out who Bella was. He finds out in a not-so-pleasant way. In other words, he breaks Bella's trust…again. So yeah, it's gonna be a while for the romance to really start, but since they're just friends now, don't worry about it. Just don't expect any lovey-dovey stuff for a while. Please, pretty please, help me reach 155 reviews! And this chapter will be focused more on Alice, Jasper, Rose and Emmett since they are important too. **

EPOV

"Do I have to?" I asked. Bella and I were standing in front of my house. I was holding a batch of snickerdoodle cookies.

"You're pathetic, Eddie boy. Of course you have to reconcile with your family! If I had my way, your mom would be here too. Now get in there. This was one of the terms of my friendship, remember?" Bella snapped. I couldn't really blame her- I'd fidgeted all morning, and my shaking hands caused me to drop the flour. When I reached for a wet towel to help her clean up, I'd accidentally knocked the cookie batter over, and it spilled all over Bella.

"Fine. But really, snickerdoodles? Who do you think I am, some sort of pansy?"

"No, I think you're a doofus who will get his ass kicked if you don't shut up and go in. Besides, you're lucky I helped you at all with the cookies considering what you did this morning. Anyway, you have nothing to worry about. _No_ one can resist my famous snickerdoodles. They can butter anyone up. But if you don't want them, I'll take them." She reached out.

"That won't be necessary," I stammered walking up quickly to the door. I thought I heard her mutter 'finally.'

Just before I lifted a hand to open the door, I hesitated.

"No, I'm sorry, I can't do it," I exclaimed, wringing my free hand.

"It's a door, Edward. How hard can it be to open it?"

"No, I meant the apologizing thing. What if they don't forgive me?"

"Oh, for God's sake," Bella cried out before stomping up and opening the front door herself. "Now go in!"

"No! I can't."

"Yes you can, and yes you will." I tried to make a run for it, but she grabbed me and shoved me inside. The force of her push sent me sprawling to the ground and the plate of cookies flying. "Ah, shit," Bella cursed again, jumping off me and leaping for the cookies. Just before the plate hit the ground where it would shatter, Bella dove for it, barely catching it, sliding several feet before she came to a complete stop.

"Thank god, they're safe," she smiled brightly.

"Hey, what about me?" I complained, still in my position on the floor.

"You can just stay there, you cowardly, no-good…" Bella was cut off by someone's cough. My cousins as well as aunt and uncle were staring at us bemusedly.

"Oh, hey. Um, how are you, Mr. and Mrs. Cullen?" Yeah we all had the same last name seeing as my father and Carlisle are brothers.

"We're perfectly fine, dear. It's wonderful to see you again," Esme said, pulling her in for a hug. Everyone else studiously ignored me. Nice to know Bella was a bigger part of the family than me.

"Oh, you brought cookies?" Alice squealed diving for the plate.

"Your favorite," Bella grinned. "Mr. Cullen, would you like to try one?" He chuckled. "Sure, but don't call me Mr. Cullen. You know I hate it."

"Um, before you all eat, I was wondering if I could…ah…talk to everyone." I managed to choke out, wiping my sweaty hands on my pants nervously. Rosalie eyed me stonily, while Alice and Esme looked confused and Carlisle just wore a blank expression. Bella smiled at me encouragingly. "Maybe we should move into the living room?" As soon as that happened, Rose exclaimed, "You've gotten one of your whores pregnant! That's it, isn't it?"

"No Rose, I have not gotten anyone knocked up. Glad to know you think so much of me," I said, rolling my eyes. There was an awkward silence. Then, "Well, tell us what's on your mind, Edward," Carlisle said stiffly. He'd never reminded more of my stern, workaholic dad than in that moment. I took a deep breath and the word vomit just poured out of me.

"I know that in the past few years I've…well I've been a downright jerk. I went against everything you've taught me and I completely disregarded women. I was a coward, and my reputation meant more to me than anyone or anything. Alice," I turned to face my youngest cousin, "That day at the party…my behavior was inexcusable. I know you're hurt because I didn't come defend you…quite the opposite actually. I continued hanging out with those pathetic excuses for human beings. I left the protective role to Bella and Rose. It was cruel and cowardly and I don't think I'll ever forgive myself, so I'll understand if you don't forgive me either." Alice's eyes were shining with tears.

"Rose," I turned to her next, "I know that you, right now, are probably considering beating me up so hard I won't be able to walk." Her narrowed eyes confirmed what I was saying. "But I want you to understand, that every bit of this apology in sincere. I know you're tired of my behavior and you have every right to be angry with me. But I'm trying to change, I really am. I hope that someday you'll accept me and consider me part of your family again."

"Esme," I continued, "you've been nothing but kind and understanding towards me and my crappy, resentful self. Honestly, you're like a second mother to me now. I hope to someday prove myself worthy of being your nephew and godson."

"Carlisle," I stared my uncle in the eye, "like Esme, you're much like a parent to me. When I was younger, and Dad wasn't around, you were always there for me. But I didn't deserve that- I blew off all your concerns when you tried to get me to change. Lately you've been so disappointed in me, and I've felt worse about that than you could ever imagine. But I'm sorry. I'm sorry about all of that, about my egocentricity and arrogance that has brought nothing but shame and pain to all of you. I'm so, so sorry." I looked down, unable to continue any more. The silence was broken by Rose's snort.

"Okay, Edward, look here. I don't know if you're sincere or not, but if you just expect me to be all soft and forgiveness towards you, you are sadly mistaken. For one thing, I don't know how big of a part Bella played in all this, but from your performance when you walked in, you would not have apologized were it not for her. Second of all, until you _show_ me just how sorry you are, in actions, not words, you can forget about any kind of acceptance from me. That's all I have to say to you," Rose tossed her hair over her shoulder. "Now excuse me, but there's a plate of cookies that demand my immediate attention. Bella, join me?" Bella cast a reassuring look my way before following Rose. I wasn't that upset- I'd expected nothing more from Rosalie. Still, it kind of stung that Rose thought a plate of cookies was more important than me.

"Edward…I think Rose is right, to a certain extent. You'll have to show us through your actions that you've changed. But even with Bella's help, I can't deny that it took a great deal of bravery to do what you did. So, welcome back to the family," Alice smiled tentatively at me before pulling me in for a hug and skipping off to join Rose and Bella before all the cookies were gone. I almost rolled my eyes- what was it with girls and cookies?

"We second what Alice said, Edward," Esme said softly before hugging me gently. "But I'd like to know…just how big of a part did Bella play in this?"

"She first managed to make me feel remorse a few days after the beach party. It was the day you guys left for San Francisco. I wanted to be her friend, and she shot my offer down." I smiled wryly. "Instead, she spent five minutes screaming at me about how big of a disappointment I was. The next day, when I woke up in her house, she told me that maybe she'd been a bit harsh. She told me that in exchange for being her friend, I had to quit my player ways and apologize to you all. I agreed but even so, I was terrified today. As you said, she had to basically push me in to get me to apologize." Carlisle nodded thoughtfully. "The apology wasn't her work though. You wanted to say sorry but you just needed a bit of a push from her."

"Just what do you think of her?" I asked cautiously.

"She's the daughter I've always wanted, along with Alice and Rose. She's the one who can balance out Alice's energy and Rose's sarcasm. Bella makes them happy, and she brings out the best in all of us." Esme gushed, "She's a dear girl. And now we'll always be grateful to her by bringing this family together again." That was Bella, all right. She was basically perfect, and I could never hope to deserve her. At that thought, I felt an unexpected stab of pain shoot through my heart, and it was like I died a little. I thought about her again and butterflies fluttered wildly in my stomach. I hadn't felt this way since _her_, and I had no idea why- after all, I felt nothing but friendship for Bella Swan, right?

BPOV

"You're asking _me_ for help?" I asked amusedly when Jasper came to me wringing his hands, asking me for advice on where to go on his first date with Alice. "I never thought this day would come." Especially not after I'd come home dripping in mud by merely going on a date…and he'd heard about how I'd escaped through a window and managed to get into a mud fight with Edward Cullen.

"Bella, we all know you're the hopeless romantic in this family…in a good way of course," he added hastily. "She's special, not like any other girl I've liked, and I was just hoping you'd come up with something Mr. Darcy or Romeo- you know, something that will sweep her off her feet!"

"You know who Mr. Darcy is? I'm impressed." I responded not bothering to look up from the huge novel in my hands, where I was lying on the bed. I heard Jasper huff in annoyance and desperation and I smiled secretly. He was just too easy to rile up.

"Bella, please, I'm begging you!" He pleaded with me. I took pity on him.

"I don't know Jasper- I'm sure Alice will just want you to be yourself. However, if, hypothetically, I were a short, four-feet tall pixie…"

"Bella, be serious, this isn't one of your games." Jasper snapped. I raised an eyebrow that plainly told him to shut it.

"Anyway, if I were that kind of girl, hypothetically, and my dream guy just so happened to be a cowboy…or a ranch-obsessed dude who has a pretty good fake Southern accent, whichever comes first…I'd want my first date to involve horses."

"Horses?" Jasper asked, perplexed.

"Yes, horses," I explained patiently. "You can ride a horse, can't you? Anyway, as I was saying, I'd be completely swept off my feet if my prince in shining armor- or in this case a cowboy with a Southern accent- rode with me into the sunset…or as far as the trail goes, where a fancy dinner will be laid out and waiting. What would perfect this would be if said cowboy handed me an expensive bracelet to show just how much he cared for me." At this moment, I got up and just so 'happened' to knock over an expensive bracelet made up of gold chains with the letters 'A + J' on them. Jasper picked it up and stared calculatingly at it just as I prepared to leave the room. "Oh, and one more thing, Jazz?" I called out. He looked up. "I didn't come up with this, okay? Right now I was only telling you my fantasies of a perfect date…if I were a short, black haired pixie. Because, if I were that person, I would be much more charmed if I thought that my cowboy came up with this on his own, not said cowboy's genius sister." I winked and left the room.

Of course, apparently Jasper spread the word about my amazing come-up-with-a-perfect date skills since not fifteen minutes later Emmett burst into my room.

"Bella, you have GOT to help me with my date with Rose! I have no clue what to do!"

"And what makes you think I know what to do?"

"Just the fact that Jasper looks like he's high considering his mood and the grin on his face, and that when I asked him how he came up with such an awesome idea, all he said was 'Bella.'"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Emmett. Jasper came up with that idea on his own…I just happened to be around and dropped a few hints about what my idea of a perfect first date would be if I were Alice."

"Yeah, whatever, just drop a few hints about what I should do with Rose, will ya?"

"Already done, big brother." I said, handing him a carnival brochure containing an expensive heart shaped locket with a rose engraved in the front. "Just don't tell Rose I came up with the whole plan and she'll be happy."

"Wait…a carnival? You got Jasper to prepare this whole trail ride thing with a fantastic dinner at the end and you want me to take Rose to a _carnival_?" Emmett asked in disbelief.

"Honestly, you're not exactly the romantic dinner type. Besides, knowing Rose, she'll love the adrenaline rush caused by roller coasters way more than a pony ride, and she'll be delighted if you win her a teddy bear. She's a total softie for those things, and giving her a tasteful necklace- it's inside the brochure- won't hurt either. Plus, I've heard that the view of the sunset from the sky-lift is amazing." Emmett gaped at me. "Thanks Bells, you're a life-saver!" He gave me a hug and went to call Rose. I just shook my head- Brothers. Where would they be without me?

**A/N: Eh, not my best. Oh well. Still, REVIEW!**


	13. Don't Mess With My Hair

**Hey, everyone! Thanks for the reviews! I'm thinking another two chapters…including this one…before Edward finds out the truth! Please, please help me reach 175 reviews? Oh, do you prefer bickering between E and B or sweetness between them? Personally I prefer them fighting playfully…it's so much more fun to write, and I don't feel the impulse to gag. Super long chapter, so if you don't review I'll be super mad.**

BPOV

My expected visits from Alice and Rose came around one in the morning. I sat there, as they squealed on and on about how wonderful and romantic their dates were with my brothers and showed off their jewelry, and I just smiled and nodded and yawned, like I didn't come up with the whole thing, jewelry included. But then, they couldn't know that. At around 3 in the morning when they finally decided to let me get my beauty sleep, Emmett and Jasper peeked in to check on me. I had glared at them and told them that they owed me big time, not to mention next time they needed date advice, I was charging 50 dollars each. The only reason I didn't charge them this time was because it was a first date.

On Tuesday morning, there was an announcement for all juniors that there would be a field trip this weekend where students would be paired up in groups of five and research certain plants/animals/rocks/bacteria. Since Edward, Alice and I were taking biology (a junior course) because we're advanced and just smart like that, we, as well as the rest of our advanced science class, would be going also. When my brothers heard, they complained about how we 'lucky' ones would be able to spend a weekend in a tent while they'd be sitting bored at home. As soon as Alice heard the word 'tent', she nearly passed out. Rose was better about it, but that didn't mean she liked it. However, when we heard that us three girls were paired together along with Lauren Mallory (total bitch that I knew from Captain Bob's Surf and Turf) and Jessica Stanley (slutty Lauren Mallory wannabe in Rose's science class) all three of us brightened up. Really, the possibilities of pranks we could play on them were endless.

"This is going to be great," Alice whispered gleefully as she accompanied Rose and myself to gather firewood.

"Just how big shall this prank be?" I whispered back as I carried an armful of twigs under one arm.

"Oh, very big," Rose muttered darkly. "I've been waiting to get back at that Lauren bitch ever since she spat gum in my hair in 6th grade."

"Well, save the scheming for later. Right now, let's focus on saving out tent," I said, staring wide eyed at the scene before us.

"Crap! I knew it was a mistake to let those two bimbos set up our tent!" Alice cursed when she saw our badly mutilated tent. I really felt bad for it. The poles were upside down and curved, and I think they somehow managed to get it inside out and upside down. Just then, one of the tent poles snapped under the pressure and went flying. Just then, a teacher looked up and sighed.

"Miss. Mallory! Just how hard is it for you to follow instructions?" She hissed. Lauren burst into tears.

"I'm s-sorry, Mrs. Cope! It's j-just that these tent poles won't work right!" Mrs. Cope took a closer look. "Why, these tent poles are the wrong ones! So that's why I couldn't find my tent poles! You stole mine!" At this point Jessica spoke up.

"I'm sorry, but it's not Lauren's fault. It was Rosalie who gave them to us, Mrs. Cope." Mrs. Cope switched her glare onto us. "Miss. Cullen! I am ashamed of you. Did you swap the poles simply so Lauren here would fail?"

"What? No, no, I didn't do anything!" Rose exclaimed.

"Then why are the correct tent poles hidden in that bush behind you?" She snapped. We all whirled around- sure enough, in the bush behind us, badly hidden, were the correct tent poles. "I am very disappointed in you, Miss. Cullen. Your parents will be receiving a phone call about this behavior and you will receive detention! Now you will set up the tent by yourself…_correctly._" She left, taking her tent poles with her, leaving Rose gaping behind her. "Rosalie Cullen! How _could_ you?" Lauren fake gasped. "Stealing Mrs. Copes tent poles and giving them to us! And then hiding the correct ones! I didn't know you had it in you!"

"I didn't know you had it in you, either, bitch," Rose snarled. Sensing danger, both Alice and I grabbed onto one of Rose's arms. "Calm down or else you'll get in more trouble." Alice whispered urgently. After several deep breaths, we decided she calmed down enough for us to release her. Then we helped her set the tent up, Rose muttering venomously all the way. "Wait until I get my way with her! Then she'll be sorry, that deceiving, lying, fake…"

"Two-scoop marshmallow-fudge banana split sundae?" I suggested. Both Alice and Rose looked at me like I'd grown another head. "What?"

"It's code for two-faced mother-fucking bitchy slutty skank." I explained.

"Ah, that makes much more sense. Yeah, she's definitely a two-scoop marshmallow-fudge banana split sundae," Alice agreed. Rose didn't answer, she was too busy concocting plans that all ended up in either decapitation, or a pile of ashes with some blonde hair on top. Unfortunately, it seemed that not only Rose was a target of the evil bimbo duo and that they were much smarter than I gave them credit for.

It was after dinner time that Alice was targeted. I'd told her not to wear all her most expensive camping gear, but did she listen? No, and now her decision came to bite her in the butt. We had spaghetti for dinner and Alice and I were assigned dishes duty. Lauren came over with a huge pot of leftover spaghetti sauce and accidentally 'tripped'. That was the first in a long sequence of disasters. The pot of spaghetti sauce overturned and completely doused Alice's tiny frame in a sea of smelly, tomato-y red. Some of it splattered on me too, but Alice got the worst of it. Besides, while I'd worn my cheapest, most old and worn out clothes that I couldn't care less about, Alice had worn designer clothing and the outfit she currently had on had cost about four hundred dollars. I should know- I was there when she'd bought it. To make things worse, every eye was on us, adding to Alice's humiliation. Alice took one incredulous look at her completely ruined outfit and Lauren's smug grin and snapped. I mean, completely snapped. Not even Superman could have stopped Alice at that point. With a scream worthy of a banshee, she lunged at Lauren, knocking her over, ruining Lauren's outfit as well, I might add. It was the biggest epic catfight out of all epic catfights in history. Alice was an unstoppable force of nature, screeching, pulling Lauren's hair, pummeling Lauren's face with her tiny fists, and scratching/biting/hitting every inch of skin she could. I did nothing to try to stop it, and neither did Rose. Quite the opposite, actually. While I sat back with a proud smile and shouted words of encouragement to Alice, Rose immediately took advantage of the situation and joined the catfight as well, helping out Alice to the best of her ability while the rest of the campers looked on in awe. That's right, NEVER get on the bad side of Alice and Rose Cullen. It took 5 counselors to pull the three apart. In the end, Lauren was missing half of her hair, had two black eyes, a bloody nose, a busted lip and pretty nasty scratches along her neck and arms. Alice just had a bleeding scratch on her left cheek and a bleeding lip. Rose had a bloody nose, and was covered in sweat, but that didn't stop the gloating, triumphant smile from spreading across her face. All three were ushered to the nurse's tent. Just before they left, I gave the two of them a thumbs up, which they returned.

"You didn't try to stop them," a voice stated behind me. I turned to see Edward standing behind me, nonchalantly leaning against a tree. "Nope," I said, "Lauren deserved it." Edward chuckled. "Besides," I continued, "When Alice gets like that, I'd be asking for death by standing in the way of her and revenge. So instead, I sat back and enjoyed the show." He nodded. "Smart choice. Though I can't help but feel bad for the Lauren girl, right now."

"You haven't seen anything yet," I replied. Unknowingly to me then, I had spoken far more truthfully than I'd realized.

Alice, Rose and Lauren returned just as the rest of us were roasting marshmallows around the fire. Rose and Alice returned happily, almost as good as new, despite the fact that they now each had two weeks of afterschool detention. In their words, 'it was totally worth it.' Lauren on the other hand, glowered at us all. I couldn't blame her- she had a huge band-aid around her nose, and her eyes made her resemble a beat-up panda. So when it was my turn to have something bad happen to me, I was expecting it from Lauren, not Jessica. About half-way through the bag of marshmallows, Jessica's caught fire. Since she wasn't half as smart as Lauren, she completely panicked, and chucked the flaming marshmallow stick away, and it 'coincidentally' happened to land in my hair, making my hair aflame. Thankfully, I actually learned something from elementary school. Amid shrieks and screams, I did the well-known routine: Stop, drop and roll. After about five minutes, when I was completely sure the fire was out, I tentatively touched my hair. About 4 inches of it was charred and needed to be cut off. My halfway-to-my-waist length hair now needed to be cut off just past my shoulders. Let me make this clear- my hair is the thing I prize most about my appearance. _No one_ messes with it. The person who does mess with it can expect me to make their live hell. There was a dead silence as I got up. Narrowing my eyes, several people flinched back. I didn't blame them- right now I wore my deadliest expression which could rival a king cobra's.

"I suggest you two sleep with one eye open, Jessica Stanley and Lauren Mallory, because you've just declared war. The hellhounds in the underground kingdom of Hades will be welcome by the time I'm done with you," I hissed. The crackling fire in the background made my threat seem very impressive. Then, swiftly turning around, I marched to the nurse's tent to grab a pair of scissors to cut my hair off with.

Inspiration for revenge came in the form of The Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket. Specifically, the third book: The Wide Window. Several groups were by the lake to collect water samples. I had been standing on the pier, peering into the water, when several long, worm-like creatures caught my eye. A sadistic smile spread slowly over my face.

"Bella? We're done!" Alice called out. We were one of the last groups left. Edward's group was the only other group by the lake. "Coming!" I called out. Once I got to Alice and Rose, I whispered hurriedly so that a curious looking Jessica and Lauren couldn't hear, "There's no time to ask any questions, since we have to leave in about two minutes, but I need you to do something for me. Make sure Jessica and Lauren don't leave the pier. Convince them that a swarm of bees is coming- you'll know when to do it. And no matter what, _do not_ get into the water, got it?" And with that, I disappeared into the forest behind a tree leaving my bewildered best friends behind me. Then, I began phase two of the plan. "Edward!" I hissed, waving frantically to him. "Come here!" He came over. "Okay, can you imitate a swarm of hornets?" I asked.

"I suppose?" he answered. "So this is going to seem really weird of me, but stay here and buzz. Got that? I have to convince Jessica and Lauren that a swarm of bees is chasing me. You'll understand why later."

"Sure," he agreed. I threw my arms around him, giving him a big hug. "Thanks, you're the best! Okay, now begin!"

Admittedly, Edward was a very good imitator of bees. Seconds after he began, I burst out of the trees, screaming. "Run! For the love of all that's holy, run! Crap!" I screeched, looking behind me anxiously. "Frigging hornets, Jesus, I didn't _mean_ to step on your nest, how was I supposed to know it was there? You don't have to kill me!" Rose, catching on, began to run across the pier. "Move," she hissed. "Out of my way!" Alice shouted, following Rose, looking for all the world as if she were about to dive into the lake to escape. Jessica and Lauren scrambled to their feet and sprinted off the edge of the pier just as Edward stopped buzzing. "Oh, never mind, I think I lost them!" I shouted out, but it was too late. They were going too fast to stop and landed in the water with a splash. Rose started laughing. "Oh, I get it now. Nice one, Bella."

"I couldn't have done it without Edward," I motioned for Edward to come out of hiding. "Sorry about that, by the way, but I needed an accomplice. Your group left."

"It's okay," he shrugged. "It was worth it."

"You haven't seen the worst of it, yet," I cackled with an evil grin. "What do you me…" Rose began, then stopped when our favorite bimbo duo resurfaced. "The bees are gone? You sure, Bella?" Jessica asked anxiously. Lauren spat out a mouthful of seaweed and lake water, grumbling, "That was stupid. Next time make sure the damn bees are actually following before telling us they are." They climbed onto the pier, dripping water. As they did so, I mouthed to Alice, Rose, and Edward; _Get what I mean?_ Alice barely restrained a giggle, and Rose looked like she was in pain from restraining her laughter. The corners of Edward's lips twitched uncontrollably.

"Um, Lauren?" I asked, barely controlling my own hysteria.

"What?" She snapped rudely.

"You might want to look at yourself." I smirked. Slowly, as she gazed down at herself, the truth dawned on her, and her expression morphed to one of horror. "Eww! What are these things! Gross!" A strangled laugh escaped Alice that she tried to pass off as a cough. "They're called leeches, Lauren. And from the looks of it, you both have about 12 to 15 on you. But don't worry- add a bit of salt and they'll shrivel right up." I explained patiently. Jessica burst into tears of fright and she sprinted into the forest back to camp, screaming, Lauren right behind her. As soon as they were out of earshot, all four of us burst into hysteric laughter.

"Oh man," Edward gasped, wiping tears away from his eyes, "Did you see their faces? Priceless!"

"Did you know, Bella? About the leeches in the lake, I mean?" Alice questioned.

"Of course, and this time we can't be blamed." I said smugly.

"Bella, you are a genius." Rose stated proudly. "An absolute, evil mastermind." I shrugged. "What can I say? You don't mess with me, my hair or my best friends without repercussions."

Edward, Rose, Alice and I were gathering firewood…again. This time, I actually had a plan in mind. "So guys, I was thinking, the leeches thing was kind of mild in comparison to what they did to us. I mean, they framed you Rose, and they ruined four-hundred dollars worth of clothing for you, Ali, and got you both two weeks of detention not to mention they ruined four inches of my hair." I twirled my ponytail, having taken to wearing it up until I could get a proper haircut.

"What do you want to do? We've already lured them into a patch of poison ivy," Alice said.

"Shut up, Alice. Knowing Bella, she wouldn't bring this up unless she had an idea of what to do," Rose snapped. I smirked- Rose understood me too well.

"Now that I think about it that does seem like Bella's style" Edward mused. My smirk grew. "Okay, here's the plan…"

Now that the plan was set and everything, I was beginning to have second doubts about it. Alice was practically vibrating with energy, she was so hyper. This all depended on our acting skills, which admittedly made me nervous. At exactly 11:30, we heard a loud crack outside out tent. Since we'd been waiting for it, Alice, Rose and myself all shot bolt upright. Rose elbowed Lauren in the face while Alice kicked Jessica. "Did you hear that?"

"That what?" Lauren mumbled sleepily. I could practically see Edward snickering outside our tent right now. Before she could say anything else, though, there was another, louder crack of a branch breaking.

"What's that?" Jessica whimpered. Any sympathy I might have had for her was ruined when I reminded myself it was her who had set fire to my hair.

"Do you think it's a bear?" Alice asked, wide-eyed, her bottom lip trembling. I was so proud of her acting skills.

"Don't be stupid, there aren't any bears around here. Do you really think we'd be camping here if there were?" I scoffed. Lauren nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, but I've heard their noses are really sharp and they'll come miles if they smell food…" Alice's eyes narrowed as her gaze landed on a guilty-looking Rose who hid a bag of what suspiciously looked like beef jerky under her pillow. "What?" Rose hissed. "I get hungry!"

"Yeah, but now the bear's going to smell it and it's going to eat it, with us as dessert!" Jessica whimpered fearfully. I almost snorted. This was going to be easier than I thought. Lauren snorted for me. "You're so stupid Jessica, it's sad."

"Fine, then, if you're so sure, you go outside and prove that there's no bear!" Jessica snapped. At this point, Edward, or 'the bear', decided to help us out a bit and deliberately shuffled closer, making as much noise as he could on the dead leaves and branches.

"Uh, that's really not necessary," Lauren said nervously.

"Okay, since you guys are all wimps, I'll do it!" I stated.

"No, Bella," Alice said softly, fake tears shining in her eyes. Yeah, I had definitely not given enough credit to her acting skills. "If there really is a bear out there…"

"Which there isn't," I retorted, getting up and lifting up the tent flap, crawling outside. Once my head was completely outside, I immediately spotted a smirking Edward and flashed a grin at him. Then, Edward came over and grabbed my arm, yanking me out quickly. There was a shriek inside the tent, but thankfully, it didn't wake anyone else up, or else the plan would be ruined.

"It's got Bella!" Rose cried out. At this point, I let out a scream, which Edward cut off with his hand. "Yeah, it's definitely got Bella!" Jessica echoed stupidly. I shook my head- Jeez, how did that girl ever get to her junior year with her IQ? At this point, I brought out the bag of food I'd kept hidden underneath my robe, and Edward and I made a big show of eating and crunching as loud as we could.

"Bella!" Alice sobbed very realistically. Finally, Edward let out a low growl, which made me stare at him in shock. Hell, though I'd never admit it, that was sexy. I shook my head- okay, Bella, back to the plan. Together, Edward and I pushed and shoved the tent. "Are all bears this big?" Alice asked timidly.

"Ha! I told you so! I told you Bigfoot exists!" Jessica cried out maniacally.

"That's not Bigfoot, stupid," Lauren hissed. "Maybe if we feed him Rose's beef jerky, it'll be enough?" Alice asked hopefully.

"Nah, that's not enough," Lauren growled, "Let's feed him you instead!" I heard Jessica agreeing.

"No!" Rose cried out, though she didn't put as up as big as a fight as she would have had she not known it was only Edward and I outside, so next thing we knew, Alice came tumbling outside. "How rude," Alice grumbled to us, "So if a bear really came, they'd feed me to it to keep themselves alive? There went any guilt I felt for doing this to them."

"Shh," I whispered. Then, motioning for them to come with me to the back of the tent, all three of us really began clawing at the tent to come inside. Finally, when Lauren and Jessica still weren't freaked enough to run outside, on a stroke of genius I removed my nametag pin, and, using the sharp point of the safety pin, I plunged it inside the tent so that to anyone inside, it would look like a needle sticking in or a single, very sharp claw.

"AIEE! Those are some nails!" Lauren screeched when Alice added her safety pin to mine with a grin. "I'M OUTTA HERE!" Jessica screamed, frantically tumbling outside the tent, Lauren following seconds later. Their cacophony effectively awakened the rest on the camp while Rose climbed outside, clutching her side as her shoulders shook with giggles, joining the rest of us in our laughter. The bimbo duo was beyond reason, and even I could not have predicted what happened next. Just as people were climbing sleepily outside to see what all the screaming was about, Jessica and Lauren, who were desperate to get to any shelter to escape the 'bear', climbed inside the portable toilet stall and locked it. Apparently they were so far gone as to not know where they were, so they freaked out again, rocking back and forth…until they rocked it one time too many and the stall fell down with a crash. The four of us gaped open mouthed along with the rest of the camp.

"Wow," I said finally, "That wasn't part of the plan."

"Yeah," Edward agreed, "Sure didn't see that one coming."

The next morning, the buses came to pick us up. Jessica and Lauren were no where to be found, seeing as their parents picked them up last night. That didn't stop them from being the subject of many cruel jokes. I almost felt bad for them. Almost. If a good thing came out of this other than sweet, sweet, fulfilling revenge, it was that Rosalie Cullen accepted Edward back into her family. In her words, 'this weekend, Edward, you have proven that through pranks, and leeches, and your ability to imitate bears, bees, and Bigfoot, you have what it takes to be a Cullen. Welcome back.' But for me, this weekend caused more questions than answers, because as he hugged her, he'd looked at me and winked. That wink had sent a weird, tingling feeling in my stomach that I hadn't felt since I'd fallen in love with him four years ago. Because deep down I knew, that however much I might deny it, the feelings I'd had for Edward that I'd thought were long extinct, were reawakening.

**A/N: Do you think the pranks were too much? I felt kind of bad for Lauren and Jessica. I admit, Bella Swan can be downright vicious to her enemies. Oh, and in case you didn't know, The Wide Window by Lemony Snicket involved many leeches..**


	14. Truth in an Elevator

**A/N: YAY! Again, I got more reviews than I asked for! Thanks so much! Next chapter will be the chapter you've all been waiting for! I tell you in advance that Edward will be a drunk jerk and do something completely unforgivable…and Bella will not make it easy on him to earn back her trust. I guess you could say this chapter will sorta be a filler chapter.**

BPOV

Monday was…interesting to say the least. I told Emmett and Jasper the whole story the day before when they accompanied me to the barber shop to get my hair fixed after the burning marshmallow fiasco. They both hissed at what Lauren and Jessica did. Emmett's eyes glazed over when I described the catfight. Both my brothers looked positively gleeful when I got to the leech incident. When I told them how they overturned the portable potty, Jasper fell out of his chair. My normally reserved brother looked like he was having a fit. He was positively twitching and he was laughing so hard he made absolutely no sound at all. Emmett was clutching his sides, his shoulders shaking.

"Aw, man, I really wish I could have seen that," Jasper said, wiping tears from his eyes.

"Looks like we taught her well, Jazz," Emmett said proudly.

"Remind me to thank Edward, Bella," Jasper said, finally calming down.

"Yeah…I never would have pegged him as the practical joke type…I think you've corrupted him, Bells," Emmett said seriously. "Not that I mind…I'll take this Edward over Playboy Eddie any day." I grimaced at the mention of Edward's playboy ways…yes, he had promised me he'd never go back to them but I still couldn't help but wonder when he'd crack. You don't go from a player to a gentleman in a day.

Anyway, back to the point. When Jessica saw that I wasn't dead, she fell down into a dead faint. Lauren saw Alice and fell down in shock. Alice, unable to resist, went over and hissed, "You better watch your back because I'm going to haunt you every day until you join me in the underworld. Alice Cullen _never_ passes up revenge. I wouldn't travel alone if I were you, Lauren Mallory." That was when Lauren joined Jessica in la-la land as she too passed out. By lunchtime, they'd figured out that it was just a practical joke but with no proof, Alice, Rose, Edward and I couldn't get in trouble. The fact that the bimbo duo went from a popularity high to an all-time low in a time-span of one weekend and were now dubbed 'Potty-Poophead' and 'Shit-face' just put the icing on the cake. Also, the fact that I was mastermind behind the plan that brought down the evil Queen Bees of Volterra High had spread like wildfire throughout the school and apparently made me some sort of celebrity in the school. I couldn't repress a grin at the dumbstruck expressions of Lauren and Jessica when a timid freshman walked up to me and asked for an autograph. When the principal confronted me about the rumors I had burst into tears, sobbing about 'false accusations' and 'vile slander.' When I started debating out loud about suing the school for 'bullying and vicious rumors,' the principal left me alone. The instant he walked away, the tears miraculously disappeared. Just when I thought things couldn't get any better, Edward ditched his old table to come sit with us. He'd smiled at me when he sat down, and like the idiot I was, I had blushed and looked down, stomach flopping.

Right now, I was with Edward at the hospital. Esme had asked Edward to drop off some of her famous chocolate chip cookies for Carlisle at work. He'd asked me to come, which was why I was here.

"Hey, Bella, do you think Daddy C will notice if a few of his cookies mysteriously disappear?" Edward gazed longingly at the cookies as I pressed the button on the elevator.

"Well, unless he has some psychic super power that enabled him to know the original amount of cookies, then no. But still, don't do it."

"Why?" Edward whined as the elevator doors opened.

"Because then I will be tempted to take some also, and chances are, 'Daddy C' _will_ notice if all there are left in the basket are a couple of crumbs, if that." I smirked. Edward sighed. The next second, the elevator halted abruptly. I screamed. Edward cursed.

"Great. This is just great. We're stuck in an elevator. Do you think these emergency buttons really work?"

"Don't know." I pressed the button. "If they don't, we could always sue the company that made the buttons. Do you think that the fire-department will come with axes and stuff and hack in to get us out? If that happens, I hope I'll at least meet a cute fireman," I grinned.

"We're stuck in an elevator, and the only thing you can think of is if you'll be rescued by a hot fireman swinging an ax?"

"It's always been one of my childhood fantasies." I could have sworn I heard Edward mutter, "I'll keep that in mind."

"Hey, on the up side, I don't think Esme would mind right now if I ate one of Carlisle's cookies." I snatched a cookie away from the basket Edward was holding.

"Do you have your cell phone? I left mine at home; it's charging." I took mine out. "Sorry, no signal."

"Fuck!" Edward swore, yet again. Big surprise, right?

"Edward, relax. We're not going to be stuck here forever." I tried soothing him. "Until we get rescued, hopefully by hot, burly firemen swinging axes, do you want to play a game to pass the time?"

"Depends on the game," Edward replied.

"How about…Truth?" I asked excitedly. "Like in 'Truth and Dare,' but we can't really do dare because we're in an elevator and all." He stared at me, then laughed.

"Bella Swan, you are truly something else. But yeah, I'll play. Here, I'll go first. Favorite color?" I narrowed my eyes at him. "Edward Cullen, don't you dare go easy on me! But anyway, my favorite color is blue."

"May I ask why?" I thought about it for a moment. "Blue is tranquil, peaceful, happy, free. There are so many shades of blue, from the calming blue of the ocean to the mysterious navy of the sky at midnight. It's a beautiful color, no matter what shade it's in. But anyway, my turn!" I thought again for a moment, wondering just how much Edward Cullen had changed in the two years since I'd left Forks.

"Play any instruments?" I knew for a fact Past-Edward had played piano.

"I play the piano." I smiled, happy that he had at least kept that hobby when he'd transformed into a complete a-hole.

"First crush?" Edward questioned. That was tricky. Truth was, Edward was my first crush. While he probably wouldn't put two and two together and figure out I was once Marie, if I said his name, he'd assume I had a crush on him now. Not that that wasn't true, but I didn't want him figuring that out quite yet. I was still trying to figure out my own feelings, and whether to listen to my head or/and my heart. My head said that I should not risk my self dignity, and confidence for a meager crush. Even my heart was unsure, remembering the havoc Edward had released on it years ago. I took that as a bad sign. "This kid named Anthony," I finally answered. Anthony was Edward's middle name, so technically it was the truth. Surprisingly Edward's fists clenched at hearing the name. I wonder why?

"When did you lose your virginity?" He looked at me in shock. I just shrugged, waiting for his answer. "Age fourteen, during summer vacation, to a girl named Tanya." Now it was my turn to gape at him in shock. Fourteen? So soon after I left? Did he really get over me that fast? And _Tanya_? I honestly thought he could do better. But why her of all girls, why did he have to lose his v-card to the very girl who did her best to make my, or rather Marie's, life absolute hell?

"It was sort of a rebound for me," Edward said quickly, seeing my horrified expression. "Rebound?" I asked quietly. He ran his hand through his hair nervously.

"It's a long story."

"I've got time," I said evenly.

"Well…back in Forks, about four years ago, I fell in love with this girl. But, I didn't fully appreciate her, and eventually pushed her too far with my antics. She broke up with me and moved away, halfway across the country. I was heartbroken, so I turned to sex for a release. And usually girls were all too willing, so…" He broke off, glancing at my blank expression. Searing guilt burned like acid in my stomach. Was the reason Edward broke so many hears really _my_ fault?

"Bella?" He asked uncertainly. I broke out of the trance I was in. Putting a big fake smile on my face, I said, "Your turn!"

"Why were you so upset about my answer?" _Shit!_

"It's just, um, my virginity is a big thing for me. My parents said that it was something precious and that you should only give it to someone you really care about- A gift to show your loved one how much you trust them and stuff. It's not your fault, but to hear you speak about it so casually, to use it as a rebound…" My voice trailed off. _Nice save, Swan!_

"Yeah," He said, "I can see why you'd think that. Looking back, I regret that my first time was with Tanya, and I regret every girl I ever took. But, not that this excuses me, it was kind of hard when the girl I loved wouldn't even _kiss_ me."

"Maybe she wasn't ready." Yeah, you would know, wouldn't you?

"Maybe she hated me," He said bitterly. _Okay, I can't say that that was a complete lie._

"Okay then!" I said, desperate to change the subject. "Favorite artist?"

"Probably Kings of Leon, Lifehouse, or Daughtry, I can't decide," Edward smiled. "Song you can relate most to?"

"Impossible, by Shontelle. I didn't have the best love life," I smiled wryly.

"Yeah, me either, though you already knew that." Thankfully, Edward didn't sound depressed anymore. "Okay, then, how many times have you been in love? Just that once?"

"Twice, actually," Edward regarded me thoughtfully. "At least, I think. I'm not completely sure." His eyes held an intensity that made me squirm internally.

"You _think?_ It's either you love someone, or you don't, Edward, simple as that." I said. He ignored me. "Most embarrassing childhood memory?"

"When I got my period while going swimming, and didn't realize it until my mom pointed it out. And I kept wondering why everyone was staring at me in that weird way!" And so it went. He asked a question that I would answer and counter with one of my own. Finally, about two hours later, we heard some commotion outside.

"The firemen are here to rescue us!" I squealed.

"Thank god," Edward chuckled.

"Hey, Edward, one more question. If you could do anything right now, what would it be?" At first, I thought he didn't hear me, for Edward didn't make a sound. I turned around, and nearly gasped. His eyes were calculating, a dangerous jade, burning with an intensity I couldn't understand. The air between us crackled with electricity. He leaned in closer, and I felt his breath fan across my cheekbones. Slowly, hesitantly, Edward brought his hand up and brushed it against my cheek. I was frozen, as paralyzed as a bird locked in the eyes of a snake. His lips, soft and smooth, had just barely brushed mine, when right on cue, the elevator door sprang open. We jumped apart, the spell broken.

"I have to go," I whispered, turning to leave as fast as I could.

"Wait, Bella!" Edward called out, grabbing my arm. "Just think about it, okay? Just give me a chance!" Then he let go, and I practically sprinted out of the hospital.

Later, at home, I thought about his words. _A chance…could I give him that_? I wondered. Logically, the answer was a flat out no. I had given him a chance before, and look where that got me. Also, there was that teensy weensy issue of where he _still_ didn't recognize my past self. Yet every time I reached to grab my phone to give him his answer, a tiny tugging in my heart held me back. Apparently, my heart had changed its previous decision, and now an internal war raged inside me: should I follow my easily deceived heart, or my all too cynical mind? Groaning, I rolled over in my bed. _What's a girl to do in a situation like this?_

**A/N: Okay, I am leaving for overnight camp for a month in two days, so I will not be updating soon. Possible update tomorrow, if I receive over two hundred reviews.**


	15. Realization

**A/N: Normally I would not update chapters one after another, but since I feel bad, since I won't be updating in a month and I received five more reviews than expected, I'll do this for you. When you finish, before you badmouth me in your reviews after you read how big of an idiot Edward is, remember that I warned you about this. **

EPOV

Two and a half weeks, or more specifically, seventeen days, not that I was counting or anything, since Bella had last talked to me. Well, she was my lab partner, so I should say talked to me willingly. Every time she saw me, she ducked out of the way, or did a one eighty and started walking in the opposite direction. Yeah, I know she needs time, but I was getting desperate. I was beginning to lose hope.

BPOV

"Bella, honey, he's not going to wait forever." Alice said patiently. "You think I don't know that? But I just, can't, I mean, it's just so hard to find it in myself to trust him."

"Love is all about taking risks, darling," Alice said. I snorted. Easy for her to say-Just yesterday, Jasper had finally made his move and had asked her to officially become his girlfriend. I had grinned when he'd told me and had jokingly given him the you-break-her-heart-I'll-break-your-face speech. "Bella," Alice continued, "Does being around Edward make you happy?"

"When he's not wrapped around some other skank," I muttered truthfully. But I could see where she was getting at. Next time I saw him, I would tell him I'd give him a second chance. Also, since I'd pretty much given up hoping that he'd discover I was Marie by himself, I'd also tell him that.

EPOV

Esme and Carlisle were out for some 'quality time' yet again. Is that what they call it these days? Ever since Rose mentioned bluntly that the walls were quite thin, and we three could hear all, and I mean _all_ of their nighttime activities, they'd been out quite a lot. And Alice, being Alice, had decided to take full advantage of this, and had thrown a party. I was on my second beer when I saw _her_. Bella was looking heartbreakingly beautiful in dark skinny jeans and a strapless red Abercrombie shirt that went perfectly with her dark, wavy hair and pale complexion. _Heartbreakingly beautiful, and 'went perfectly with her pale complexion'?_ I shook my head. I had been hanging around Alice too much. Bella seemed to be searching for someone. My heart dropped. It obviously couldn't be me, and Alice and Rose were already there, so was she searching for one of her brothers? Or a guy, perhaps…

I shook my head angrily. God, I was turning into such a wuss, and all because of that one beautiful oblivious girl who had been avoiding me for two weeks. I looked at her again, and my stomach clenched when I saw her talking to another guy. Her head was thrown back, laughing. My fists clenched together so hard my beer can turned into a crushed pile of metal scrap. I needed another drink, fast.

Two beers later and I was completely wasted. There was this clingy brunette on my arm that I couldn't get rid of that kept trying to seduce me.

"Hey, sexy, what do you say we ditch this lame party here for a nice bedroom upstairs?" She asked in a voice that sounded like that of a 60 year old chain smoker. I was about to tell her to screw off, when I thought _why not?_ The girl I was currently in love with wouldn't give me the time of day, so really, was this so wrong? I hadn't had sex in months, and right now I could really use the release. Yet in the back of my mind, there was that tiny voice that was my conscience that made me hesitate. The weird thing was, it was Bella's voice. I heard her words, heavy with disapproval, _"Don't do this, Edward," "Sex is something precious, to be shared with someone you love, not for release," "Mess with another girl, and your face will become very well acquainted with my fist."_ I glared angrily at nothing in particular, telling my conscience to back the fuck off. So now Bella was messing with my head as well as my heart and emotions?

"Sure, babe," I said, turning towards the girl, who immediately smiled hugely. _If I try hard enough, I could imagine that's Bella who I'll be screwing soon, _I mused. Had I been sober, the contrast between the two girls would have been glaringly obvious, but as previously mentioned, I was completely shit-faced, and it took little imagination to think that it was Bella and not some random slut that was leading me upstairs. I led her to my bedroom and she pulled me down on the bed, her lips never breaking contact with mine. I was on top of her, and she pulled my hand under her shirt, where I began unclasping her bra. Within seconds, her shirt was off, and her bra was on its way to join the shirt, when suddenly I heard the one thing that could have stopped me at that moment. Bella's voice.

"Edward, are you up here? Alice said that she thought she saw you going upstairs, and I really need to talk to you about something important…" Her voice stopped abruptly as she took in the scene and gasped. I caught only a glimpse of her shocked, hurt face before she turned around, ran down the stairs and out the door.

"Bella, wait!" I cried out, my head clearing drastically. Ignoring the confused, whiny girl on my bed, I sprinted after her, grabbing her wrist just as she was about to enter her car. She spun around, and slapped me across the face with all her might. I winced. My stupid conscience cheered her on.

"I told you that if you led on another girl, your face would become very acquainted with my hand, didn't I? I made that absolutely clear, if I remember correctly," Bella hissed, breathing hard.

"What? I didn't lead her on, she knew that there were no relationship expectations, it was just a one night stand…" My voice died at the look on Bella's face.

"Not her, you moronic idiot! I was talking about _me._" Wait, what?

"Wait, what?" I said, voicing my thoughts, trying to clear my alcohol addled brain. She couldn't mean what I thought she meant…could she? Her eyes were closed and she was frowning in frustration. I guess that wasn't supposed to slip out.

"Tonight, I was going to tell you my answer, that I still had some lingering feelings for you. I was going to give you a second chance, and I find you on your bed with Jessica Stanley of all people!" Crap, that was Jessica? Then something else she said registered.

"What do you mean by giving me a _second_ chance?" I asked softly. Bella seemed conflicted, as if debating whether to tell me or not. Finally, she met my eyes, and I saw a new determination in them. She stepped closer to me, never breaking eye contact with me. My breath hitched when she stopped only an inch from my face.

"Look at me, Edward," She whispered, "Really look into my eyes, and tell me the person you see there." I did what she said. Her chocolate brown eyes were swimming with hurt and betrayal. Those eyes were so familiar, and that expression…suddenly our surroundings seemed to blur and change as I was transported back in time four years ago. I nearly staggered as the memories overwhelmed me.

_ I was laughing with my buddies at Forks Middle School. I had just moved here, and school had just ended. "Okay, Eddie boy, I dare you to knock the books out of Marie Swan's arms," Tyler said grinning. I spotted a mousy girl with stringy muddy brown hair carrying an armful of binders and several very thick, heavy looking books as she made her way to the afternoon bus. Making my way up to her, I swiftly shoved her. Marie's books came tumbling out of her arms. One of her books, Jane Eyre, landed in a pile of mud. Marie suddenly stiffened and I felt a surge of guilt rush through me. Marie looked up at me with an expression so venomous I took a step back. I was used to girls falling all over me, not this. Then, out of nowhere, Marie shoved me into the mud pile with surprising strength, and, taking one of her thick textbooks, began pounding on the head with it. "Never. Mess. With. My. Books. Again. Got it?" Each word was punctuated with a blow. _

_ "Yes," I choked out. She smacked me on the stomach with her textbook, and began gathering up her other supplies. I watched as she tried to make a dignified exit, but tripped on her way to the bus and chuckled._

_ "_You're_ my partner?" Marie asked in disbelief. I grimaced. "Look, I know we didn't get off to the best of starts, but we should get over our differences if we want to pass, so truce?"_

_ "Do I have a choice? Never mind, don't answer that." I grinned, then frowned perplexedly at the worksheet in front us me. "Uh, how do we do this?" She sighed, exasperatedly. "Great, you're an idiot as well as a book-ruiner. Just my luck."_

_ "You like your books, don't you?"_

_ "I thought you would have figured that out when I started pummeling you yesterday. Unless you want me to teach you another lesson right now?"_

_ "Uh, that's not necessary," I said, scooting away from her nervously. She pretended not to notice, but I saw a corner of her lips pull up. Guess we did have a truce._

_ It was a few months after I had first met Marie. She really was something else. Unlike most girls, she had no interest in her own popularity. When Tyler tried to lay a hand on her, she whacked him in the gut with one of her crutches. It was all I could do not to burst into hysterics. Today, she was going on a date with me and we were walking along the beach. She told me once that she'd always wanted to walk along the beach at night, under the moonlight. I had gone to great lengths to prepare dinner out here, and she looked so peaceful as she ate her linguini under the stars. She looked up and smiled at me serenely. "Hey, Edward, what's on your mind?" I shuffled nervously. How do I go about doing this? "Um…I was wondering…do you want to be my girlfriend?" She smiled teasingly. "The Great Edward Cullen nervous about asking a girl out? I didn't believe in the apocalypse before, but I sure do now."_

_ "Ha, ha, funny," I snapped. She laid a hand on top of mine to calm me down. "It's okay, Edward, of course I'll be your girlfriend."_

_ It was a few weeks later from that night. I had invited her to go hiking, and we had stumbled in a tiny meadow. I had taken out my ipod touch and put it on speaker. She laughed as I spun her around while we danced. She looked up at me from below her eyelashes, her arms around my neck. My breath hitched as I started to lean in, but she abruptly pulled away. "I'm so sorry, Edward, but I'm not ready yet." I nodded, signaling it was fine, but inside I couldn't help but feel disappointed. "You ready to go?"_

_ "Sure." As we turned to leave, she suggested that the meadow become our place. I had readily agreed. _

_ School had started again after the best summer of my life. Tyler walked up to me._

"_Hey, man, what's up?" I replied saying I was fine. Just then, I spotted Marie walking up to the door. Tyler snickered next to me. "I didn't think she could get any geekier, but apparently I was wrong."_

_ "What do you mean?" I asked. He looked at me in disbelief. "Dude, have you seen the way she stutters sometimes?" Marie stutters? She never did around me. Just then, she spotted me, and made her way towards us. I ignored her. "Edward?"_

_ "Just get lost, loser. No one wants you here." I sneered, trying to ignore the stabbing pain in my heart at saying those words. I turned and walked away, leaving her hurt and confused._

_ Later, I explained that maybe it was best for us for our relationship to stay a secret. I explained that I didn't want to subject her to the bitchiness of high school girls if our relationship became known. She had agreed. _

_ "TANYA? You're going out with _her_? What am I then, your whore?" She shrieked. I winced. "Look, it's expected. If I don't go out with her, people will become suspicious. Listen,"_

_ "No, you listen, Edward. I've put up with you taunting me, playing pranks on me, humiliating me, joining the dark side…"_

_ "The dark side?" I muttered. "Maybe you are as nerdy as everyone thinks you are." Crap, that was not supposed to slip out. Marie blanched as if I'd slapped her._

_ "Who _are_ you?" She whispered, before turning and slamming the door behind her. "Wait, Marie!" I hurried after her. "Look, I'm really sorry."_

_ "Tell me the truth, Edward," she said, staring me in the eye, "This whole secrecy thing…is it for my sake, or for the sake of your reputation? When you say sorry…is it because you really are, or because you don't want me to be mad at you, so you say it to patronize me?" I didn't answer. How could I? She was right-I'd foolishly thought she wouldn't notice how important being popular meant to me. Because I was weak. Marie didn't care what other people said about her, threw at her, but I did. I needed people to like me, to respect me, for me to function._

_ "That's what I thought," Marie said sadly. I realized that my silence just spoke it all. That was the first time we fought. But she soon forgave me, and put up with Tanya. The only sign of her discomfort was when I kissed Tanya, but she'd just turn away._

_ "Why won't you kiss me?" I asked, frustrated as Marie turned her head yet again to the side. "Is it me? Is that it?" _

_ "Well, excuse me if I don't want to kiss the lips that still have leftover lip-gloss on them from kissing _Tanya_," Marie spat at me. I gaped at her. "What is your problem? So what if I kiss Tanya? You know it's fake." She looked at me in disbelief._

_ "God, you're even more stupid than I thought you were," she shook her head as my mouth fell open. Later, I would realize the signs she sent me, that signified she was reaching the limit of her self control and understanding. Now, I wonder how I could have missed them. But I didn't notice them until it was too late to prevent the worst night of my life from happening. _

_"I HATE YOU, EDWARD CULLEN!" She screamed. My mouth fell open as I watched her stomp into the woods. "Don't mind her, Eddie, she's a psycho," Tanya crooned. I shook her off. "Sorry, Tanya, I have to go. See you later." I hurried after her. "Marie…what the hell is wrong with you? You know it wasn't real." I glanced nervously at my watch. "Look, you left me in a very awkward position with Tanya, and it's really unfair and selfish of you to be damaging my reputation at this moment because I ran after you…" She cut me off with a slap of her hand. "It's over, Edward. OVER, you hear me?" I let go of her, in shock. Where was the kind and understanding girl that I knew and loved?_

_"Did you just dump me?" I hissed in blatant disbelief, trying to ignore the panic churning in my stomach. She had the nerve to roll her eyes at me. "What part of 'It's over' do you not understand, Cullen?"_

_"Look," I said, gripping her tightly by the shoulders, my pain taking the form of anger and indignation. "__You__ do not dump __me__, understand? She broke free. "Oh, so __I'm__ not allowed to dump __you__, but __you're__ allowed to dump __me__? How sexist can you get, Cullen?" I clenched my fists, trying not to let my temper get the better of me. I didn't succeed. "Now see here, Marie, __no one__ dumps Edward Cullen, much less an inconsequential, geeky, nerdy brat" The look in her eyes had me backtracking as I mentally smacked myself for those cruel words. "Marie…I didn't mean…"_

_"Is that really all I was to you? An 'inconsequential, geeky, nerdy brat'? And don't 'Marie' me!" I was about to protest, to say I didn't mean it, but she cut me off. "I see everything so clearly now, it's a wonder I didn't see it before. I see that I was nothing more to you than a toy, a plaything to come to when you were feeling sad, or bored."_

_"Marie, you know that's not true," I tried to explain. _

_"Edward, I'm tired of being walked over again and again, used, taunted mercilessly by my own boyfriend and having to watch that same boyfriend make out shamelessly with a girl in front of me, all to save his stupid reputation!"_

_"Marie, LISTEN TO ME!" I roared, then quieted down, looking straight into her eyes, trying to convey all my regret, remorse, sorrow and love with that one look. She shoved me away. "Save it, Edward." She said venomously, turning away, but stopped when I asked my next question. "So you regret everything we did together, everything we had?" _

_"Edward…what I do regret is that it took me so long to realize that I was always a second priority, that it took me so long to realize how unimportant I was to you, like every other girl was-believe it or not, for the past two years, I deluded myself into thinking I was different, special, set apart from all the girls you cheated on and led on. I regret that it took me two whole years for me to get sick of you always placing your reputation before your girlfriend. But most of all, I regret for not realizing earlier that it was you, my own boyfriend, who had made my life a living hell full of uncertainty, pain, torment and sadness for the last two years. But if there is one thing I don't regret, it's that I never allowed you to kiss me." Then she walked out of the woods, and out of my life, once and for all, as I sank to the forest floor in agony. What had I done?_

The memories faded, but one thing remained unchanged. Marie's eyes were still boring into mine, and as I stared back, I realized that the key to what Bella had been trying to tell me all along lay in those very eyes. As I stared at the girl in front of me; the girl who I had given my poor excuse of a heart to; the girl who I had never stopped loving and was never able to think of without a huge wave of remorse; the first girl to show me what rejection was and that I couldn't get away with how I'd been acting without any consequences; the girl who I thought I'd never see again, but came back into my life four years later and I didn't even know it until now; the girl who was currently tapping her feet impatiently, waiting for an answer, I uttered aloud the one name that I swore I'd never say again, the word that somehow said it all…

"Marie?" My voice cracked, the word coming out like a question. **(A/N: You guys don't know how close I came to ending it there, but I didn't because I felt bad. So there's another reason to review! Remember, last update in a month.)**

** "**_Annnd_…we have a winner! Congratulations to Edward Cullen for finally recognizing his ex-girlfriend after three and a half months!" Her voice was bitingly sarcastic.

"Marie, I'm so sorry…" Those words weren't nearly enough, but she cut me off. "It's Bella now, Edward. Wimpy Marie, the girl who let you get away with turning her into one of your whores, died two years ago, the night we broke up. Bella, the girl I am now, took her place."

"Bella, then, just let me explain," I pleaded, no _begged._ I was ready to go down on my knees, but Bella being Bella, didn't give me that chance. "Edward, let me tell you something. I went into that party tonight, with the intent of giving you a chance to prove yourself to me, and tell you that there was a slight possibility of me falling in love with you again, and what did I find? I find you fucking Stanley's mouth with your tongue, and we both know that had I not intervened, you probably would have hit home with her. I'm sorry Edward, but I just can't trust you after that." Bella got into her car, and started the motor.

"Just let me go, Edward," She whispered before pulling out of my driveway. I stood immobile; staring after her car long after the bright taillights vanished, the despair threatening to swallow me up.

**A/N: If you remember, this is the first time Edward has ever thought or said Marie's name. He always referred to her as '**_**she'**_** or '**_**her'**_**. Also, before you get too mad, remember that Edward is human, and as said before, he simply can't go from player numero one and bedding a woman every other night to Mr. Darcy in so short of a time. Not to mention it doesn't help that Eddie is a bit depressed and hopeless in regards to Bella. He doesn't think she'll ever love him back and it was bad timing and horrible luck that the one night he decides to have sex again is the same night that Bella was going to give him another chance. Don't kill me, please! I promise, they WILL bet together. SURVEY! I'm thinking of adding Jacob into the story. Should he and Bella have a real romantic relationship, or should Jacob be a gay person who wants to help Bella out by making Edward jealous by pretending to be straight and Bella's boyfriend?**


	16. AN: I apologize in advance

A/N: Hey everyone, I'm so sorry but this is not an update. I kinda snuck onto one of my camp's computers and I only have about 30 minutes free time before I'm kicked off or one of my friends come to see what I'm doing. Anyway, I just wanted to say I was AMAZED at the response my last update had. Gay Jacob totally won. I agree-frankly, I hate it when Jake always gets hurt in these stories. And for those who think the revenge thing is childish, Bella doesn't consider it entirely revenge. More like showing him how she felt all those years ago seeing him make out with Tanya. She'll only give him enough pain so that he understands and will never do it again. Also, I was nominated for the glove awards! *Squeals mentally.* Thank you, thank you to whomever nominated me for best title, best story, most heartbreak and most tears. Wow…I'm guessing the heartbreak and tears part came from my last chapter? But anyway, it would mean a lot to me if you voted for my story at .com. I've read some of the other stories nominated, and let's just say I feel honored that my story is put up there with them. Some of them have over 10,000 reviews! That's just crazy. Oh, should I introduce Jake in my next chapter? Next update will be in 3 weeks, when camp is over. P.S. I REALLY am sorry that this is not a chapter. Since I hate author notes, I feel like such a hypocrite right now.


	17. Operation Change Edward Cullen

**A/N: I'M BACK! I'M BACK, I'M BACK, I'M BACK!** Did I mention I was back? OMG, it feels so good to be back home and writing again. So sorry about the authors note. Anyways, any ideas on how to make Edward more jealous for maximum funniness? If you have any Jacob ideas, please PM me or something.

BPOV

"_Bella, please, I just want to talk…" _Delete.

"_Bella, I can't tell you how sorry I am…"_ Delete.

"_Please, Bella! Fuck, I don't know what to say…" _Delete.

"_It didn't mean anything. Shit, I was just frustrated…"_ Delete.

The messages got progressively more agitated as I didn't answer. It was like I was almost on repeat now, robotically hitting the repeat button over and over again.

"He's still calling, Bella?" Jasper sighed. It was understandable that he was annoyed. The phone had been ringing all last night and this morning as well. However irritated he was, however, was nothing compared to the raging hurt I had been feeling. My brothers knew this, and thus were being very tactful and quiet around me. Thank god it was the weekend. If this was a school day, I'd never make it out alive. The worst thing was that I couldn't even really, _really_ hate Edward. This time, unlike the last, there was no anger: instead, just crushing disappointment. I'd honestly thought he'd changed. Or at least gotten better. And really, it just _stung_ that he'd almost had sex with _Jessica Stanley_ of all people! It was like a slap to my face, or more specifically, my dignity.

Rose and Alice were also leaving me alone. I had a feeling Alice would have barged in here anyway, in a vain quest to make me feel better, had it not been for Rose. I made a mental note to thank her later. In Alice's mind, 'alone recovery time' pretty much meant a time span of five minutes.

"Bella!" Our poor front door was almost knocked over thanks to the speed Emmett crashed through it. He stood in front of me now, face flushed and eyes excited.

"What, Emmett?" I growled, annoyed. Didn't he know I wanted, no needed, to be left alone? He rolled his eyes.

"Oh, c'mon Bells, you've had enough moping time! You know what you need? You need a _distraction._"

"No, Emmett, I need my brothers to quit trying to make me feel better. And you can do your 'distraction' on your own. I'm not in the mood to either go bungee jumping or get arrested."

"Oh, ye of little faith," here he sighed dramatically. I would have wondered if he wasn't secretly a girl considering how overly dramatic he was sometimes if I hadn't known for a fact that no girl could be so idiotic. "I'm talking about going to a party! Or more specifically, a charity gala." I stared at him. "Who are you and what have you done with my moronic, video-playing, goof of a brother?"

He waved me off. "Silly Bella, I'm right here." Emmett punctuated this by pointing at his chest with a finger.

I shook my head. "No, seriously, in what universe would you want to go to a boring, all-rich-folks, _charity gala?_"

"In this one, little sister. And trust me, you'll want to go to this one." He smirked, as if he knew something I didn't. I watched him warily. "Besides, you owe me for agreeing not to beat up that jerk." Emmett's smile faltered. "I don't know why. I mean, he's hurt you again and _again_ and all you've done is given him more chances, and why wouldn't you want him to hurt even a _little_ bit…"

"Emmett." I held up a hand to halt his rant. "I told you. I don't need you to take care of me, and I heard from Alice that he was already so pathetic right now a beating probably wouldn't have made that much of a difference. But you're right, I do owe you for that. So I'll come. But don't expect me to enjoy it."

"Great! So since it's a gala for the hospital, Carlisle and Esme are hosting it and Rose and Alice and unfortunately Edward…"

"Wait, wait, Edward is going?" I asked. At this point, Jasper spoke up. "Yes, Edward is going and you're going too, because you're going to show him that you are strong and that he can't affect you as much as we all know he does. But _he_ doesn't know how much he affects you." I glared at him, but he just smirked because he knew he had me. I couldn't pass up a challenge and besides, I did want to show Edward that I could get along just fine without him.

"Fine. Okay, I'll go."

"Alice, I can't do this," I stammered, glancing over at Edward, standing across the ball room, who looked about as bad as I felt. If it wasn't for the wonders of make up and concealer, as well as years of practice (seeing him make out with Tanya had improved my poker face vastly), I'm sure I would have looked that bad too, if not worse.

"Yes, you can, Bella, and yes you will. You will show my jerk cousin that you are strong and perfectly well off without him." She said, smoothing my dress. Funny how Emmett, Jasper, her and Rose were all starting to sound the same.

"Hey, Bella! I've found you a dance partner!" Emmett said, sounding suspiciously cheery. "Why are you so happy about that? You usually frighten off every guy who tries to dance with me."

"Not _every _guy." Emmett said.

"Yeah, the only guy besides yourselves and Charlie you haven't frightened off are gay guys, and since the only gay guy I've ever danced with is Jacob…" My voice trailed off as the realization dawned. My brothers' determination to get me here. Emmett's weirdly happy mood. And now….I whirled around. "Jacob!" I squealed, attracting pretty much the attention of the entire room. I didn't care. I faced my best friend from Phoenix and flung myself at him. He caught me around the waist, chuckling. "Whoa there, Bells, I'm happy to see you too, but no need to tackle me. But then, you've never been able to resist me," he teased. I smacked him, before looking at him more carefully. He looked the same as ever, chin length black hair, smooth russet skin, square jaw, and sparkling black eyes all intact. I had met Jacob Black in Phoenix and smiled, recalling how we met.

_It was my first day at Phoenix High School. The place was completely different from Forks. I mean, it was HUGE! So there I was, basically just wandering around, completely lost with my nose stuck in a map, when I bumped into something. I stumbled, and grabbed onto that same something, intending to save myself, but instead dragging the object down with me. That object happened to be a human. _

_ "What is your freaking problem?" The guy yelled at me. He was very tall and solidly built. And obviously had a temper. "Watch where you'll going, god."_

_ "Watch where you're standing, jerk," I retorted. His eyes narrowed. "What did you say?" _

_ "I don't know. What did you think I said?" I asked. This had happened recently after I made my pact to get over Edward and start fresh, a new person, which explains the smartass attitude. The guy's face turned a dangerous beetroot, but either decided I wasn't worth his time or was just too thick to come up with a comeback because he merely spat "Bitch" at me._

_ I had turned my head around, seemingly trying to get a glance at my butt._

_ "What are you doing?" He asked._

_ "Trying to get a glimpse of my tail. Female dogs have tails, do they not? But since I don't appear to have one, you must be mistaken," I said calmly. _

_ "Look, girl, are you TRYING to get yourself killed? Normally, I don't beat up girls, but for you, I might just make an exception…"_

_ "Now, now, Paul, already looking for a fight?" Came a bored voice. The newcomer looked me over. His gaze was mildly surprised. "And with a girl, no less!" He held out his hand. "Hey. Ignore him. His bark is worse than his bite. I'll bet you could take him, no problem. But anyways, I'm Jacob."_

_ "Bella. Pleased to meet you."_

_ "Likewise. I'm sure we'll become good friends." He grinned suddenly, and that was the beginning of our friendship._

Later, Jacob had introduced me to the rest of his friends. Aside from Paul, I met Sam, Emily, Leah, Seth, Jared, Quil and Embry. Jacob was part of the reason I was the person I was today. He knew everything about me, and was the only one I told about Edward.

"What are you doing here?" I asked as he led me over to the dance floor, twirling me around. "Dad got a job here. I knew you moved here somewhere, and I found Emmett. And here I am." Jacob said shrugging. "Hey, do you know of any good prospects here?" He asked, wiggling his eyebrows. "Don't waste your time," I muttered. "The guys here are total jerks."

"Really?" He asked, intrigued. "What happened, go through a bad breakup or something?"

"Something like that," I said, wishing I had never brought up the subject in the first place. Jacob stopped dancing and turned me so that I faced him. "Explain," he demanded. I sighed, before motioning discreetly towards Edward, who was scrutinizing us closely. Jacob whistled. "Wow, he sure is a looker, isn't he?" I snorted.

"Okay, then, Jacob, meet Edward Cullen." At hearing the name, Jake choked on air, his eyes widening. "Is that…?"

"Yeah, he is. The one and only. The very same guy I told you about," I said sighing.

"Small world, isn't it?" He asked, sympathetically.

"Too small," I murmured, but I was distracted as I watched a blonde beauty walk up to him. He said a few words to her, and smiled flashed his player smile at her. He didn't even think about it anymore, it was just habit by now. As she walked away slightly dazed, for the first time since yesterday night, I felt a huge surge of anger towards him. Suddenly, I wanted to make him pay. To make him feel what he had done to me back in middle school. To make him _understand_ why he couldn't go on as he did before, understand the depth of the damage he had done not only to me, but to every other girl that had fallen for his charms. To make him understand why what he did was wrong.

Grabbing Jacob suddenly, I pulled his face down to mine and kissed him solidly on the lips. He was too shocked to protest. We broke apart at the sound of shattering glass behind us. Edward was standing there, with his drink all over his shirt and a broken glass in one hand.

"Excuse me," he muttered. Jake and I both watched him for a moment. The second he disappeared from view, Jake rounded on me. "What the hell, Bella?" He whisper yelled. "Have you gone crazy? Or have you suddenly gotten amnesia and forgot I was GAY? What the fuck was that for?"

"Jake…I'm sorry for using you like that. It's just…he was talking to this girl, and she had no idea what kind of guy he was and she just fell for him like that…it reminded me of me. I kissed you because I wanted him to know how I felt every time he kissed another girl." I finished softly. Jake stared at me. "So basically you have this whole revenge plan, where you want me to occasionally kiss you and maybe pretend to be your boyfriend, so you can show Cullen how you felt every time he kissed another girl? And so he can learn that he can't get everything he wants? You think that by hurting him, by letting him be the victim, he'll realize what an asshat he is and will change? And you want me to pretend to be straight, change my entire lifestyle for this plan which may not even work, for a few weeks, and pass up any gay prospects, just for the sake of all the past girls he has hurt, and to save any future girls he may hurt?" There was silence for a moment. Wow. I hadn't even come up with that elaborate of a plan but now that Jake had suggested it, I couldn't pass it up. Then, finally, I said, "Pretty much." Jake's gaze flickered between my face and where Edward was just standing. His eyes traveled to where Edward was standing again, where a few glass shards still remained. His face hardened, and I saw something light in his eyes that I didn't recognize. He looked into my eyes, and a corner of his lips turned up into a familiar smirk. "Count me in."


	18. Lesson in Love

**A/N: Hey, since at camp I was pretty much overflowing with ideas, I'm updating today instead of a week later. I didn't think you guys would mind. **BPOV

"Does this mean I have to kiss Bella? Like, really kiss her, as in on the lips?" Jacob asked. Alice rolled her eyes.

"Yes, Jacob, if this fake relationship thing is going to work, you will have to kiss her. On the lips."

"Eww." Jake made a face.

"I second that," I said, scrunching up my nose in disgust. When I had, on impulse, kissed Jake at that idiotic gala, it had caused me to spend half an hour in the bathroom. I think I used up all the mouthwash we had. Rose sighed. "I can't believe I'm doing this, helping you," here she waved a hand in Jake's and my general direction, "with this plan. You two are hopeless."

"You agreed, Rosie," Emmett reminded her. Yesterday, after the gala, I had decided to reveal this plan to my brothers and best friends. After all, I doubted I could do this without them, especially considering my brothers know full well he is gay.

_Flashback to yesterday._

_"Let me get this straight. You want me to join in on this giant scheme to break my cousin's heart. I understand you want revenge, Bella, and I'm not going to go against you, but is this really the way you want to get back at Edward? By acting the way he acted towards you?" Alice asked, raising an eyebrow._

_ "First of all, Ali, I'm acting a heck of a lot better towards him than he acted towards me. I'm not ignoring him or testing the size capacity of lockers by seeing if they can fit a human being inside them."_

_ "He shoved you in a locker?" Emmett bellowed. Jasper looked murderous. I ignored them._

_ "Secondly, Alice, this isn't all about revenge." I received skeptical looks from four pairs of eyes. Only Jacob didn't look at me weirdly. Actually, he wasn't looking at me at all, seeing how his attention was completely absorbed with finishing his 7__th__ cheese stick. "It's not! This is…well, think of this as a lesson in some ways."_

_ "A lesson?" Alice asked slowly. She looked at me. "Explain."_

_ "See, the reason Edward hasn't changed, though he's tried, is because he doesn't truly understand the pain he puts his, for lack of a better word, victims through, and thus is not truly sorry for what he did. He's like a child in that way. But if he sees me happy with Jake,"_

_ "And understands just how much that hurts, you think he won't put another girl through that pain again, because he's in the same pain himself." Rose said thoughtfully. _

_ "It's a good idea, I have to admit. He never has known how much emotional damage he causes by telling girls they're beautiful (quite convincingly) one day to having a new girl on his arm and ignoring them completely the next."_

_ "It hurts," I said softly, "to see the one you loved, or lusted after, in the arms of someone else. To know that everything they told you was a lie." Jasper came over and put his hands on my shoulders, comforting me. "It's alright," he murmured. _

_ "One more thing," Alice added, "You said this was all like a lesson, a lesson in love, if you will. What happens if he passes the test? If the plan works, and he's a different guy because of it? A better guy." I didn't blame her for asking that, because I'd wondered myself. I wanted to tell myself that I wasn't stupid enough to trust him again, and wasn't desperate enough to take him back. But what if he truly had changed? So I answered with the only thing I could think: "I'll come to that bridge when I have to cross it. But anyway, are you in? If you aren't, I won't blame you." _

_ "You already know my answer." Jake said, munching on what must have been his eleventh cheese stick. _

_ "I'm in. Not only for Edward, Bella, but for you too. Even if this was only a revenge plan, I would have been on your side." Alice said firmly. My eyes went a bit moist. Everyone knew that out of anyone here, Alice was closest to Edward, and defended him the most. _

_ "I made up my mind before you made that huge speech about saving Edward's personality, but that just seals the deal. I'm definitely in." Rose grinned. "This should be fun. I've always wanted to see what that idiot would be like if he was jealous." _

_ "Do you even need to ask?" Emmett asked with a smirk. _

_ "You know I'll side with you, Bella, but I have to ask…will you be okay? I just don't want this plan to hurt you." The others looked confused, but I understood. I truly did love Edward. A heart wasn't like a tap, where you could just turn off your love for someone. This plan, by hurting Edward, would hurt me too. But I knew I had to do this, if not for me, but for those future girls. I looked up at Jasper. "I'm fine."_

_End of flashback._

It turns out that I really needed everyone's help, as Monday morning proved. I needed to make our entrance as dramatic as possible so that firstly, there could be no possible way for Edward to ignore us, the new happy couple, and secondly, signify that I was completely fine without him and hopefully provoke a jealous reaction from him. We were all gathered at my house before school where Alice, Emmett and Jasper were trying to make Jacob look at least somewhat less gay. Thank god Jacob wore a normal tuxedo at the gala or else this could all have been for nothing.

"Jacob Black! I'm telling you, gay guys _do not_ wear eyeliner, or any kind of make up whatsoever!" Alice shrieked from upstairs. I glanced at my watch. She had less than half an hour to make Jake presentable and so far, there seemed to be little to no progress.

"Yeah Jake, and sequins aren't exactly the fashion statement for straight guys nowadays," I heard Jasper say calmly.

"But they're so _pretty_!" Jacob whined. "And these clothes are horrible! No taste whatsoever!"

"That's kind of the point," Emmett grumbled. Rose, the only one not helping, grinned amusedly at me. "This makes up big time for having to wake up an hour earlier than usual." Rose and Jacob, for whatever reason, did not go along well.

"Noooo! You can't make me! There is no way in hell I am going down like this!" Jacob wailed, causing Rose and me to go into a fit of giggles.

"You are going down there, or so god help me," Emmett growled. "Oh no! I'm so scared!" Jacob cried out mockingly, but he listened anyway and reluctantly came down the stairs, stopping dead in front of me. Rose and I stared at him for a second before bursting into another fit of giggles.

"So…" Jacob struck a ridiculous model pose, pouting his lips seductively, one hand behind his head, the other on his hip, "What do you think?"

"It looks…fine, Jake. Absolutely fine," I said, between laughs.

"Yeah," agreed Rose, "You look almost…normal." Jake scowled at her.

"Stop it, Rose. He looks fine," I defended him.

"Yeah, Hale, listen to Bella," He said smugly.

"Bella meant fine, as in a gangster-gone-wrong kind of fine." Rose said. I laughed. Even Jake cracked a smile. It was true and we all knew it. He was in those baggy jeans, wore a lopsided baseball cap on his head, a thick, golden chain hung from his neck with a matching golden cross pendant and his jeans were falling down from the weight of the silver chains hanging from them. "Alice, I understand that you worked hard, but no boyfriend of mine, not even a pretend one, will go out dressed like that," I said, maintaining a straight face with difficulty.

"Yeah, well you can blame that on Black right here," she said, glaring at Jake. "The doof here wouldn't wear anything else."

"Jacob, go right back upstairs and change, or I tell your dad about the time in freshman year where you…"

"All right, all right!" Jake said, cringing away from me, bolting upstairs. Alice looked at me in wonder. "How did you _do _that? I spent all morning working on him and one sentence from you…" She shook her head.

"Blackmail," I explained smugly. "Works every time."

Fifteen minutes later, we made the entrance that would go down in Volterra High history. Well, that's how Emmett liked to put it. In reality, it was a lot less spectacular. But it was enough. This is how Emmett liked to tell the story:

Heads turned at the roar of the raging black motorcycle. Dressed in a black leather jacket and dark black jeans, and huge sneakers, he was the epitome of dangerous. The swerving halt the motorcycle came to just confirmed that. What made this even more interesting was that on the back of the motorcycle sat Bella Swan, A-student, swim captain, one of the most popular girls in school. As she got off the huge vehicle, she placed a quick kiss on the newcomer's lips and walked to the main entrance with his arm around her shoulders, ignoring a gaping Edward Cullen just a few meters away. Just as they reached the front doors, he turned so his lips were right at her ear and whispered a few words that made her giggle. Then, swiftly, he turned and disappeared.

This is my point of view of the whole thing:

"Jake, you're sure you know how to use this thing, right?" I asked nervously, eyeing the gigantic motorcycle Jasper had rented. "Of course," Jake said cockily. "It's just a few pedals and all I need to know is how to use the brake and how to steer. It's not really all that different from the bumper cars at theme parks." I looked up at the sky and prayed to god not to lose my cool. No such luck. But can you blame me? He compared riding a motorcycle to steering bumper cars! I gave up on praying for patience and instead started praying for my life.

"Jake…" I started to give him a lecture on all the different ways motorcycles were different from bumper cars, including that you weren't supposed to crash into other cars with motorcycles, but we were already off.

"TURN LEFT!" I shouted out directions as we went, just barely avoiding a tree. He turned left so suddenly I almost went flying off, had I not been holding on to Jake for dear life. Finally, _finally_ we made it to school, after about 15 different almost-accidents. I was so happy that I threw my arms around his neck. From the outside, it might have looked like we were kissing. Releasing Jacob, I managed to catch a glimpse of Edward's face. His mouth was open, eyes wide and bulging. _Yeah, that's how I felt the first time I saw you with Tanya, _I thought bitterly. At least I did a better job of hiding my emotions. "Wow, he looks like a fish out of water. I totally wish I had a camera right now. Definite Kodak moment," Jake whispered to me, making me laugh. "I have to go register at the office. See you later, Bells." End of big dramatic entrance.

All day, Edward kept sending me these pathetically sad, wistful looks. Good thing too, since if his attention was on me, it was off of Jake, who kept sending the male population of Volterra High not-so-subtle lustful looks. I think I bruised my foot from the number of times I kicked Jake discreetly to remind him that straight guys didn't go for men. His response was to complain and whine about why he couldn't be bi instead of straight. I told him to shut it.

It wasn't until Tuesday night that Edward finally cornered me. I was in a club (sound familiar?) since Jake dragged me along, reminding me that I still owed him big time. Thanks to Jasper, and the marvelous fake IDs he got us, we all got in.

"Bella." I turned around to find Edward right behind me, looking only slightly tipsy. "So, you and Black?"

"Uh-huh," I said, not really feeling like going into detail right now.

"I don't like it," he said bluntly.

"You don't have to," I said childishly.

"Though I have to say, Bella," he said, taking another sip of his drink. "You didn't strike me as the person who would claim to have loved one person one day and be dating a different person the next." I recoiled as the implications of that hit me. He was implying that I was a complete whore, that I was everything I hated about Edward himself.

"Well, doesn't that description sound familiar?" I snapped. Remorse flooded Edward's face for a split second.

"I just don't want you to get hurt, Bella," he said quietly. "He doesn't love you, I can tell."

"At least he can remember my damn name!" I shouted, failing in my attempt to keep my voice down. A flash of pain crossed Edward's face, but I didn't stop.

"Hell, I guess I can understand to some extent that you didn't recognize me once. I knew I had changed; it shouldn't have come as that much of a surprise. But for you to fail to recognize me _twice_…" I shook my head. Edward's eyes clouded with confusion.

"Wait, what do you mean I didn't recognize you twice? I don't understand…" I laughed harshly. "So you mean you don't remember a feisty blonde girl who spat beer in your face? Jesus, Edward, I didn't think that was something you _could_ forget."

"Of course I remember her. Isabel. Wait, how do you know," comprehension and horror dawned on his face, "that was _you_?"

"The one and only. Funny how the only three girls known to turn you down turn out to be the same person? I guess that shows just how much your chances of getting me back are." I turned to leave, but he grabbed my wrist. "Bella, I know there are no words that can make up for how I treated you, but just let me say…I'm sorry." A sad smile formed on my lips as the earlier anger faded. "No, you're not."

"What?" Edward asked incredulously. "Of course I'm sorry."

"Maybe…but for all the wrong reasons. You're not sorry for what you did, you're sorry that you got caught. You may be sorry I'm mad, or that because of what you did, you'll lose me, but if you were truly sorry for the way you hurt me…tell me this, Edward, if you were truly sorry for that, then why would you have did it over, and over again?" I looked up into Edward's shocked, speechless face and continued. "If you didn't get caught, you wouldn't have been sorry at all, and you might have even continued. And _that_ is precisely the reason I can't forgive you, and will not forgive you until you truly feel sorry, for all the right reasons."

"And how will you know when that time comes?" Edward inquired.

"Because when it does, you'll change," was all I said before I spotted Jake and demanded to leave. "See you tomorrow, Edward."

EPOV

_Because when it does, you'll change?_ I thought. I had stood in the same spot for five minutes after Bella left, her words still ringing in my head. And what did she mean, I wasn't sorry for the right reasons? I _was_ sorry for kissing all those girls…wasn't I? And yet, in the back of my head, I heard her words- "_if you were truly sorry for that, then why would you have did it over and over again?_ I shook my head and then proceeded to do what any depressed, rejected male would do- I ordered a drink.

A couple drinks later, and I was completely wasted. Everything was blurry and at an odd angle. I saw a girl heavily making out with a guy right in front of me. The girl caught my attention- she was brunette, petite, with brown eyes…brown eyes like Bella's. And suddenly I was filled with rage- rage towards the guy. That should be me, me touching her, kissing her. All the emotions building up since that night when I first saw Bella kiss Jacob exploded. Rage, definitely, fury, betrayal, hurt, desire, and a huge portion of despair…what _was _this emotion? The answer came to me like a ton of bricks: Jealousy. I'm jealous. Vaguely I wondered if this was what Bella felt every time I kissed someone else, but that thought was overclouded by the blind, consuming jealousy. Clenching my fists, I walked up- or stumbled, more like- and abruptly put everything I had into my punch. The guy stumbled back, clutching, I saw with satisfaction, what looked like a broken nose. Blood spurted out of it. Bella screamed.

"Dude! What is your problem?" He shouted. Bella ran over to him.

"Marisa, it's okay. I'm fine," he comforted her. All I could think was _Marisa?_ I looked at the girl- more carefully this time- and abruptly felt stupid. First of all, she was at least two inches taller than Bella, her brown eyes were dull and shallow, her face was completely coated with makeup, and her nose was kind of crooked, like a witch's. The only slight resemblance she bore to Bella was her hair. The guy glared at me. "I'm just going to teach this guy a lesson." The crowd cleared quickly, and a few people started chanting _Fight! Fight!_ The guy descended on me, and the next thing I knew, the floor was a lot closer to my head than it had been a second ago. The guy jumped on me, and started pounding my head. I tried to fight back, but the fact that my equilibrium was shot wasn't helping things. He punched me in the stomach and I let out a groan, and all I knew was pain, pain, please let the pain stop.

Then, all of a second, it was gone. I looked up, wondering if perhaps there was a god after all, when I caught sight of the last person I'd expected to help me. Emmett.

"Hey, man, don't you think you've done enough? I mean, he's just a kid, and he was drunk, he didn't know what he was doing." Emmett said cheerfully to my tormentor. He shrunk back, clearly intimidated by Emmett's size. "I guess," he muttered, before turning to Marisa, mumbling something about leaving. Emmett then turned to the bartender, who had sat stock-still this whole time, captivated by the fight.

"Hello, old Bobby, you have a first-aid kit anywhere that I can treat Eddie here with?" He said, still cheerful.

"Of-of course," Bobby stammered. "This way, please." He then led us to a back room and handed Emmett a first aid kit. As soon as Bobby left, Emmett, who had been supporting me and helping me walk up to this point, abruptly dropped me, discarding the happy-go-lucky façade he wore.

"Why?" I managed to croak out, on the floor. Emmett paused. "Why did I help you? You can thank Bella for that, not me. She came home and suggested that I go there and lucky for you she did. She was awfully concerned about you, though for the life of me I can't figure out why. But anyways, that's not important right now." He stopped talking and looked at me in disgust, then roughly grabbed my arm, pulling me to my feet and in front of a cracked mirror. "Look at yourself, and you'll see why I will never understand how you won my sister over in the first place. Because she is everything that you're not and will never be." As I looked in the mirror, the man in the mirror stared back. I couldn't repress a shiver of revulsion as I looked at him. His face was puffed up, both eyes black so he resembled some sort of half panda. His nose was bloody, his lip busted, skin pasty, a light sheen of sweat covering it. His eyes were rimmed with red, from the copious amounts of alcohol he'd consumed in an attempt to escape the pain rather than face it. But most of all, I couldn't deny that the creature that stared back at me was weak. And I realized Emmett was right- weakness was one thing that Bella never was. After coming out of a bad relationship, which could possibly be considered abusive (both verbally and physically, if you count the bruises that formed on her as a result of me knocking heavy textbooks from her arms), instead of wallowing in self pity and hatred, she'd allowed herself to blossom into this amazing, brilliant, charismatic, beautiful person who anyone with half a brain couldn't help but like. She was the farthest thing possible from the man in the mirror, who picked fights for pretty much no reason, who drank until he was in this pitiful state, all because he couldn't stand the pain of losing the one he loved. And as the man in the mirror stared back into my eyes with his own empty, pitiful ones, daring me to call him a name other than my own, I made a promise to myself. To change. To become someone new, someone even slightly more worthy of the brilliant angel that would forever be out of my league. Yes, Bella Swan would probably never be mine again. But I would try, and fight for her, because that's what she deserved.

**A/N: Okay, life pretty much sucks for Edward right now. Any ideas on how to get him back in Bella's good books? Because frankly, if I was Bella, I'd never speak to Edward again, but since the story pretty much demands that they end up together, obviously Edward has to find some way to earn Bella's forgiveness. If you're confused, don't be afraid to PM me. As always, please review! And yeah, I know this chapter is one of my weaker ones, I just hit a complete writer's block. Again, if you have any ideas, let me know!**


	19. Poor Edward

**A/N: Okay everyone, I am so unbelievably sorry for not updating sooner. I just had a killer writer's block and the words just wouldn't come out on paper. Every time I tried I was completely unsatisfied. It was by far the worst lapse I've ever had, creativity wise. So again, I'm sorry, but please review anyway!**

EPOV

I had never thought of myself as a masochist. In fact, up until a couple weeks ago, I would have laughed at the thought. I hid from the pain, instead of confronting it. Hell, I took every precaution possible to prevent myself from being hurt, including keeping my family mostly at arm's length. Masochist and Edward Cullen didn't belong in the same sentence, in my world. But if that was the case, what was I doing right now, hiding behind some prickly bushes with a pair of binoculars, spying on the only girl I had ever loved going on a date with her boyfriend?

I watched as Bella laughed at some cheesy lame ass joke Black told her. I watched as he tenderly brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. I watched as he leaned down and gently kissed her sweet, succulent lips. I watched until my heart broke, for the umpteenth time since the first time I saw her positively _jump_ Jacob at that cursed charity gala.

When Bella and Jacob packed up, I breathed a sigh of relief to myself that they hadn't gone further. Of course, they were in a public picnic place with adults and three-year-old toddlers galore, but still. In the past weeks I had never seen Jacob go further with Bella than hand-holding and a few chaste kisses. _I would know,_ I thought, snorting to myself as I thought of all the dates I had accompanied them on (I had to hand it to him, Jacob was classy, whether reserving seats at an expensive restaurant or seats at Bella's favorite band. He treated her better than I ever did, though I hated to admit it.) Any shame or dignity I might have possessed flew straight out the window when it came to this girl, and there was no limit to how low I was willing to stoop- I mean, seriously, I was spending my Saturday stalking my ex-girlfriend and her current 'wince' boyfriend to reassure myself that they didn't do something drastic, like have sex or something. Right now, I was pretty sure I was stuck in between the 'stalking-mad-ex-boyfriend-who-is-so-desperate-he's-turned-into-a-downright-creeper' phase and the 'pathetic-puppy-dog-who-won't-leave-object-of-interest-alone' phase. Yeah, I was pretty sure I was losing my mind with unrequited desire. To back this point up, yesterday I had overheard Carlisle discuss with Esme about getting me committed, and was only about 75% sure he was joking.

I didn't mean for my life to turn so sad, but it did. If I thought I was doing well concerning girls before when Bella had insisted that in order to become her friend, I change, that was nothing compared to how I was doing now. Before, I still found girls attractive, but didn't act on my lust, because even back then, before I fell in love with her all over again, none of them compared to Bella. But now, I couldn't even look at a girl without mentally analyzing/comparing them to Bella. If a nice blonde girl walked up to me my thoughts would be something along the lines of _Her hair's nice, and she has nice eyes but they're too pale they need to be darker like Bel- _wait, don't think of her_. Anyway now that I think of it, her boobs look really fake, they're not soft and natural looking like Be- _don't think of her!_ Her color is completely washed out, her face is too narrow, not heart shaped like B- _WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM, DUDE, I SAID DON'T THINK OF HER!_ There's something about her eyes, they're so close together like a rodent, and God, I can smell her hair spray from here- that Abercrombie smell is nauseatingly strong and her hair is all wrong and dried out and probably straightened one time too much. _ It went downhill from there. By the time I was finished looking her over, the insanity that is my mind had drawn her as some kind of vicious, life-threatening monster who wanted to a.) kill me with that deceptively innocent looking backpack or b.) rape me. It was all I could do to keep from running for the hills, screaming the entire way. As it was, when a girl came on to me, I usually went pale and pasty, and started to sweat like a hog, and don't even get me started on what happened every time there was anything less than twenty feet between Jessica Stanley and me. Every time I looked at her leery unsuccessfully-seductive face, I all but sprinted for the bathroom where everything I just consumed would come right back up. Yeah, real attractive, I know, but it was partially because of girls like her that I lost Bella in the first place.

But other than my near panic attacks every time I looked at a girl, or the instant loss of appetite every time I looked at Bella and Jacob _feeding each other food_, I managed to keep myself under control and behave at least somewhat like a normal person when I hung out with Bella, Jacob and my family. I relished every moment I had with Bella without Jacob; for example, last week, when I was watching a scary movie with her while Jacob was in the bathroom, the ax-murderer had suddenly jumped and stabbed the girl out of nowhere and Bella had shrieked something along the lines of "Holy Shizzle Sticks of Hell!" and had leaped into my arms, wrapping her own tightly around my neck. That moment was pure heaven despite the fact that if I kept it up for much longer, my already in smithereens heart (right now, I don't give a damn if I sound like a girl) would be damaged beyond repair. So why continue being around her? Because I'm a fucking masochist, that's why.

BPOV

A couple weeks after the bar incident and things were going great. Jake had somehow managed to keep up the straight charade with only a few mistakes and act at least somewhat boyfriendish- thanks to the fact that Alice and Rose kept me informed on when Edward was stalking me- which was often- so that we knew when it was okay to drop the act. Still, I couldn't help but think that maybe Edward was getting a bit suspicious- I mean, the average hormonal male would not stop at gentle kisses on the cheek and forehead, and hand holding. Just look at Emmett and Rose; yesterday, I had walked in on them making out extremely heavily on the living room couch. Rose was in a position that looked extremely uncomfortable to me given that my 250 pound brother's body was crushing hers beneath his, but given the way she kept moaning and straddling him, I don't think she minded. I found out later that they were apparently trying to set the Guiness World Record for longest kiss and had stopped only because Emmett had to go pee really, really badly. Having not gotten the clue from the nauseated expressions of everyone unlucky enough to be in the room at the time that he was sharing more information than anyone wanted to know, he then proceeded to tell us cheerfully that while the kiss record failed, he and Rose were now vying for the title of 'Most Sex in 24 Hours.' I think I puked a little in my mouth. However, that gave me an idea. When I suggested it in one of our LIL (Lesson in Love) meetings, Alice gave me a dubious look.

"You honestly want to have pretend sex when Edward's in the house when you and Jake haven't even really made out yet?"

"Yes," I answered firmly. "He's getting suspicious about the lack of physical involvement in our relationship. I think he already knows there's something wrong with Jake…"

"Gee, thanks," Jake grumbled.

"And doesn't need one more thing to add to that." I finished.

"You have a point," Rose said, glaring at Jake. "Ever since Alice burst into the house while EDWARD was here, announced a shopping spree and you started jumping up and down, squealing like a little girl he's known there wasn't something quite right with you."

"Hey, I covered it up, didn't I?" Jake asked defensively. This time Alice snorted.

"Yes you did, Jacob…by stuttering your way through a pathetically weak explanation, saying you were being sarcastic."

"And you only came up with that excuse after Bella kicked you really hard in the shins and you screamed like a baby and realized straight guys aren't supposed to like shopping," Rose added.

"It wasn't the only mess-up either. Remember when you got food on your pants and you fussed about it for half an hour? We would have kicked you under the table, but considering how loud you screamed when Bella kicked you during the shopping incident…" Jasper joined in.

"Oh, and don't forget when you went with Bella to the mall and even though we warned you Edward was following, instead of complaining and bitching about carrying her bags like any normal guy would, you left the bags to Bella, drooled at the sight of some sequined cut-off pants and ogled at least three guys," Emmett chipped in. Jacob scowled as we all ganged up on him.

"Anyway, the thing is, that Edward has noticed enough about Jacob that we cannot afford for another unusual thing to catch his notice…and lack of a physical relationship is definitely an unusual thing."

"Well you're forgetting the fact that if you haven't even kissed for longer than zero point oh three seconds in public, then wouldn't it be strange if you had 'sex'?" Alice questioned.

"Yeah, but they could pretend to be one of those people who really don't like displaying too much PDA, but once they're in private, they fuck like bunnies…" Jasper trailed off at the amused look on Emmett and Rosalie's expressions.

"Gee Jasper, you seem to know a lot about this so-called type. Maybe you're speaking from experience with a certain pixie I know?" Rose teased. Jasper rolled his eyes, his cheeks flushing a rare tinge of pink while Alice scowled at Rose.

"Shut up," Alice muttered. "It's not like you and Emmett can talk. At least _my_ boyfriend and I don't go trying to beat the world record for 'Most Fucks in a Day'."

"Well at least _I'm_ not so ashamed of my bedroom skills that I have to hide it behind closed doors that are triple locked in an empty house with all lights off so my boyfriend can't see that I don't know what the fuck I'm doing." Rose retorted smugly. Alice's eyes narrowed. "Well at least _I…_"

"As much as I'd love to listen to both of you argue about your sex lives, ladies, we have more important matters to discuss." Jake interrupted. I shot him a grateful glance and he winked at me. "The main being, are you in this newest plan of Bella's or not? We've shown Edward how to be a gentleman to a lady on dates, now we have to decide if we're going to show Edward how to treat a lady in a bedroom. I vote aye."

"I guess," Alice muttered, still glaring at Rose.

"I'm definitely in. I can't wait to see my cousin's face when he thinks Bella is having sex with you," Rose said, beaming at Jacob for once. "And get over it, Alice. You're just pissed because I came up with a better comeback than you."

"You better sleep with one eye open tonight, Rose." Alice said menacingly.

"Well, as long as you don't do the real thing…" Emmett trailed off at the repulsed expressions on both our faces, grinning, "Then I don't see the harm in it."

"It would certainly teach the bastard a lesson," Jasper agreed.

"So," I said, standing up and stretching, "Operation Sex Life to Make Edward Jealous, or Operation SLTMEJ is officially on. Now…who wants some snacks?"

**A/N: Sorry it was kind of a filler chapter. Stupid writer's block still isn't completely over, but I hope the next chapter will be better. So to sum it up, Edward isn't dealing too well, but he's managed to hold himself together around Bella, stalker behavior aside, not to mention he's definitely changing. He isn't forcing himself on Bella, he's giving her time. Meanwhile Bella has decided to go on a whole new level to taunt Edward. Yeah, she's kind of sadistic. So, I was thinking maybe one more chapter before they get back together?**


	20. Third Chance

**A/N: Okay, after my last update my writer's block went away and I got ideas again, so I'm updating early to make up for how long it took me to post the last chapter. I hope you like it! Please review- I'm hoping to get maybe 15 to 20 reviews? And also, I'd like to thank the following people: fireflies371, Ali Shaw, Amanda Cullen001, Alice Hale17, Kammi93, Beckab1997, ilOVEyOUh.1001, CullenHathaway, CassieCat97 as well as many others for always reviewing, not giving up on this story, and staying with it even through the slow parts. Also thanks to my beta themelodiousmeadow. So I'm dedicating this chapter, Third Chance, (which is a pretty important chapter, btw) to you guys. **

BPOV

How does one fake having sex, you may ask? The answer to that is actually quite simple- you get some of your brother's porn films and edit the sounds a little on the computer. I point blank refused to do that part, simply telling Emmett that all I needed was the, um, sounds the porn stars were making, not the actual images. All I had to do was sit in the room with Jake, wait a couple minutes, and maybe throw a couple pillows around and bang the bed a few times. Rose, who was still pissed at Emmett for owning _porn_ when he had her, assured me that I would be more than convincing. The whole concept was uncomplicated, so why, when I was sitting in my bed with Jake waiting for Edward to come home, did I feel queasy just thinking about pretending to do _it_ with Jake? No, forget queasy, I felt positively nauseous. Which was really ridiculous, if you thought of it, considering this whole thing was my idea. But still, I couldn't shake off that gut feeling that this was undeniably _wrong_ and that something terrible would result from it.

I nervously fidgeted in my bed. Rose had wanted me and Jake to do the whole thing at their house, in Edward's bed, but I drew the line at that.

"It'll be fine, Bells," Jake whispered to me. His face was wet from the water we had poured on to him, creating the illusion of sweat. His hair was an absolute mess and I was sure mine was the same.

"I'm okay," I said. At that moment we heard the front door open and I gulped involuntarily. Jake turned the tape on while I winced. I couldn't deny that Edward would fall for the whole charade now. I just wasn't sure if I wanted him to. Jake, seeing the pasty hue my face had taken on, reached over silently and squeezed my hand in a silent promise that this would all soon be over.

Jake lied. It was _not_ quickly over. In fact, right now I was pretty sure my ears were scarred for life. For the life of me, I could not think of why I had not thought to bring a pair of headphones or earmuffs with me, to muffle the sounds coming from that cursed tape. I settled with pillows, instead. Looking at the watch, I saw that we had only been in here for about seven minutes. Whatever, it was the longest seven minutes of my life. Sighing, I looked in the mirror to make sure I still looked properly 'sexed up,' using Alice's words. Taking a deep breath, I took Jake's hand for moral support, preparing for the worst as I opened the door and rounded the corner. The sight before me stopped me short.

All the preparation in the world couldn't have prepared me for this.

Edward lay on the ground, his arms wrapped tightly around his knees, rocking back and forth slightly. I gasped slightly and ran over, reaching out to him, my fingers trembling uncontrollably. As soon as my hand made contact with his shoulder, his head snapped up. The look in his eyes took my breath away, because it was the last thing I had expected. I had expected anger, I had expected fury, humiliation, betrayal, hurt, but I found…nothing. His clear, emerald green eyes held nothing at all but a blank, uncomprehending look that could only be described one way…he was _broken._ No, not broken. Broken things can be fixed, and the look in his eyes said he was beyond that. He was Shattered. Just like my cold, dead heart.

"I have to go," he said in a cold, emotionless voice that reflected his empty eyes. I wanted to explain, revenge plan be screwed, to explain that everything he had just thought he'd heard had been fake, but when I opened my mouth, nothing came out. Taking that as consent, he turned around and was out the door before I could blink, leaving me behind with one hand still reaching out towards him.

EPOV

Leaving Bella behind was the hardest thing I have ever done, despite the fact that she had just united with Jacob Black in the most intimate of ways. As if I needed one more reminder that she would never be mine. You would think that after witnessing that, I would be furious, denounce her in front of the whole world, and have the strength to give her what she so obviously wanted- to finally leave her alone. Instead I felt nothing at all but despair. Because I knew that even if she fucked with every guy in the whole fucking world, I would never leave her, _couldn't_ leave her. She was like my air; without her, I couldn't survive.

I knew I couldn't really blame her. He was her boyfriend and I had no claim to her. I couldn't even pretend that I deserved her and what happened next only proved it. A blur of images passed through my head, memories that my brain had disregarded, pieces of my past that I had subconsciously stored away and were now coming back to haunt me: The hurt, angry look in Bella's eyes the first time I ignored her, in the beginning of eighth grade…the way she would always hide her arms, or more specifically the bruises on them that I had always thought were a result of her clumsiness and not from the times I had brutally knocked her to the ground…the way she'd turn away from me every time I tried to kiss her…the bitter, simmering anger that began to haunt her eyes, replacing the pain and love…the way her intense, dark eyes seemed to follow me everywhere, burning with accusation, especially every time I kissed another girl, causing me searing guilt which I ignored at the time…the weary resignation in her eyes every time we made up from a fight…I had it all coming for me, I realized, gripping the steering wheel even more tightly. The torture my brain had decided to inflict me wasn't over yet, as the images kept on coming. Pictures of uncountable girls flooded me: the way I would whisper sweet words to them so I would get what I wanted, the way many of them were virgins that I took after getting them drunk first, the way the ones that lasted for more than a few days would cling to my legs, begging me to stay in a desperation I never understood until now, the dead look some of them had, nodding in quiet resignation, the way that I never saw some of them, like Angela Webber for example, with another guy since. The tears were now flowing down my cheeks freely as I finally saw myself for what I really was. How everyone else except maybe a select few had seen me. A monster.

That realization, along with the odd, distorted vision my tears had caused, put my body in such a shock that I didn't see the large blue van coming towards me until it was too late. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion-the van slammed into the right side at an angle, my head flew forward and the airbag flew up, and the next second, it was as if the heavens had exploded. Pieces of glass flew up into the air, sparkling in the sunlight. _At least I'll die looking at something beautiful,_ I thought wryly before everything went black.

BPOV

"Bella? Bella, there's been an accident. Edward…" Alice's voice suddenly broke off. As soon as I heard Edward's name, I started panicking.

"Alice? What happened? Is Edward…" That was all I managed to choke out before my throat closed up. There was a sickening swoop of dread in my stomach.

"He- he got into a car accident. He's in the hospital…" The phone dropped from my hands. The words made no sense. _Edward. Accident. Hospital…_I snapped out of it as realization set in. Not bothering to pick up the phone, I sprinted to the car and sped all the way to the closest hospital. After practically screaming at the receptionist for directions, I finally found my way to Edward's room. He lay there, bandages wrapped all around his head, but with a serene smile on his perfect face. He was unconscious and…deathly pale.

"_No,"_ I whispered.

EPOV

When I opened my eyes, it took me a few minutes to adjust to the scene before me. As in, I had almost jumped out of my skin when I opened my eyes to see a pair of wide, bottomless brown eyes staring into mine only a few inches from my face.

"Gah!" I gasped, leaning backwards. The brown eyes blinked, and pulled back immediately, allowing me to see the person who the eyes belonged to. "Bella?" Without replying, she threw her arms around me. The force almost knocked me back unconscious again. I winced, but immediately regretted the action when she retracted her arms.

"Sorry," she murmured. I looked around to see that Alice and Rose were in the room (which I now recognized as a hospital) both with red eyes and handfuls of tissues, as well as Esme, who was tearing up, and Carlisle, who looked paler than I had ever seen him. "What's going on?" I asked.

"You were in a car accident," Carlisle said in an odd voice, but that was all he got out before both Esme and Alice leaped up and repeated Bella's action. "Oh my god, Edward," Alice sobbed, "Don't _ever_ scare me like that again, got it?" I nodded helplessly, patting her spiky hair, "It's okay," I murmured soothingly to her, and, looking around at my family assembled before me, remembering the way Bella had voluntarily hugged me, and the way her eyes held me spellbound with the depth of her concern, I couldn't help but smile. "Everything's perfect."

**2 Weeks Later**

I grinned. After two weeks of torturous boredom and inedible hospital food that tasted suspiciously like plastic, the doctors _finally_ allowed me to go home. I was scheduled to check out today, two days ahead of advance, and was anticipating the expression of surprised delight that would be on the face of everyone at home. Though Bella, Alice, Rose, Carlisle and Esme visited me every day, and occasionally even Jasper or Emmett dropped in, I was ready to go home. Carlisle had offered to drop me off quickly at home before hurrying back to the hospital. I had never been much of a chipper person, but I can honestly say that I have never been so happy in my life to go home. The first thing I greeted was my beautiful, shiny, silver baby. In other words, my car.

Slipping in quietly in the front door, I heard raised voices in the dining room. Just as I was about to go in and reveal myself, I heard Bella's voice.

"I'm sorry guys, but I can't do it anymore. Yes, I know this whole thing was my idea, I started it, and now I have to end it. I can't just keep on hurting Edward, Emmett. Almost losing him…" Bella trailed off, sounding a little choked. Despite feeling guilty about eavesdropping, I couldn't stop now. My curiosity was too strong. What the hell was Bella talking about?

"Bella, the accident was not your fault. You couldn't have known…"

"But I did, Rose," Bella cut in, her voice harsh, "I knew the whole thing with Jake would hurt him. I knew that, and yet I insisted on going further, with the whole sex thing, even though I knew it was a low blow. I may not have known that he would have gotten in an accident, but I know that I partially caused it." There was a sniffling sound. Bella sounded close to tears. As for me, I was beyond confused. Especially with what Jacob said next.

"Does this mean I can go back to being gay?" **(A/N: HA! I so almost ended it there, but then you guys would have probably hunted me down and murdered me in my sleep.) **My eyes almost bulged out of my head. Gay? Jake? What…no, that's impossible. I had solid evidence against that. Yet…I had always known there was something off about him. The way he stared at her left me no doubt he loved her, but it was in a purely platonic, brotherly way, and their kisses had always lacked enthusiasm, as if they were staged or forced, which was part of the reason I had been so shocked when they decided to do, you know, it. Then there was the time Alice had announced a shopping trip…I had NEVER seen a guy become so genuinely excited about that…unless they were gay. Deciding it was time to reveal myself, I stepped around the corner.

"What exactly is going on here?" My voice was quiet, subdued, but it could not have had more of an effect on the people occupying the room than if I'd shouted it at the top of my lungs. Alice gasped, Emmett fell off the couch in shock, Jasper kept opening and closing his mouth like a fish, Rose let out a small shriek, Jacob stiffened, but it was Bella who I looked at. Her face was rather pale, but her eyes held a determined look in them. "Just how much have you heard?" She asked calmly.

"Enough." I answered simply. Rose and Jacob both muttered "Busted," under their breath at the same time. Emmett opened his mouth to speak, but Bella silenced him with a look. "No, Emmett, he deserves an explanation, and it has to be from me." _Damn right, _I thought as I waited for her to begin.

"Remember that charity gala we went to?" Bella asked. I nodded mutely- how could I not?

"Well, I had only went that day since my brothers practically dragged me there. Also, to force myself to see you and prove to you that I was strong, that I could more than handle you. Regardless, I thought I was up for a night of agony, so imagine my surprise when instead, I encountered an old family friend from Phoenix. Jake was and is one of my closest friends, the only person I ever told my story to. Anyway, that night was the night this, this plan, started." Bella paused, and looked down at her hands ashamedly, fidgeting slightly. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to cause you pain, Edward," she continued softly, "so that you'd finally understand why I couldn't be with you, why I dumped you two years ago in eighth grade. If you experienced the same kind of pain yourself, I believed you wouldn't keep inflicting it on girls who didn't deserve it, who didn't deserve a broken heart." At this, I flinched. Bella's head stayed down, still crossing and uncrossing her fingers repeatedly. "In short, Jake would pretend to be my boyfriend for a while, and thus would show you that you couldn't get everything you wanted. Of course, a plan this big couldn't be kept secret, so we let my brothers, Alice and Rose in the plan. We all thought of it as a test of sorts, a lesson in love. My intentions were merely to teach you that you couldn't continue the way you had before, and, through Jake, show you how to be a gentleman and treat a lady right. And I'll admit, I had my doubts that you would pass. We all did." Bella looked up suddenly, her eyes burning with emotion.

"But you did. You did pass, beyond anyone's expectations. You continued being my friend, and, although your stalker tendencies kind of freaked me out at times, (yes, I know about that) you never did anything to push our relationship. You stopped intentionally, or unintentionally, charming girls. You haven't slept with one, or almost slept with one since I caught you with Jessica. And yet, I wasn't satisfied. Remember that time in the elevator?" She asked. I nodded. "You said you'd lost your virginity to Tanya. _Tanya,_ Edward, the girl you had always claimed to feel nothing for, the girl you had promised you only kept to keep our secret safe. So I took my revenge plan one step further. I pretended to have sex with Jacob. You'd be surprised at how easy it is. Just sprinkle some water on your face, mess up your hair, and get a few porn films of Emmett's…"

"Which I'm still not happy about," Rose, who up until this point had been examining her fingernails with unwavering attention, muttered.

"Babe, I let you burn each and every last one of my things even _slightly_ related to porn," Emmett whined. "What more do you want?"

"I want you two to shut up and let Bella continue the story," Alice snapped. I noticed her eyes were slightly glazed with tears.

"There's not really that much left to tell," Bella said, "but anyway, after you got into that accident, I was stricken with guilt. I knew that I was the reason you hadn't been driving as carefully that day. Not to mention, I know when I go too far in pranks- usually the victim ends up in tears or half dead. In your case, the latter." Bella grimaced, and winced slightly. "You know the rest." As soon as Bella stopped talking, every eye turned to me, making me squirm under their scrutiny. I racked my brain for words-really, what did someone say after learning about this? So I threw caution to the winds and blurted out the first thing that came to me. "You mean I've been jealous of a _gay_ guy this whole time?" My eyes widened as my words caught up with me and mentally smacked myself on the forehead. That's all I can think of to say? Really?

"Hey! There's nothing wrong with gay guys!" Jake protested. I grinned at him, finding myself warming up to him now that I realized we weren't after the same girl. "No offense."

"None taken," he grumbled.

"Edward…" Bella started, but hesitated. I nodded at her to go on. "I just told you all this and _that's _all you can get out of it?"

"Well…I don't really know what to think," I said, scratching the back of my head awkwardly.

"I understand," she said. "But still, you have to admit that was totally random."

"I wouldn't be Edward Cullen without the stalking and a few bouts of randomness," I said, smirking slightly.

"Remind me again why I love you?" She muttered.

BPOV

"Remind me again why I love you?" I murmured. There was a silence and when comprehension set in, an uncontrollable flush spread up my neck, warming my face. I clasped both hands over my mouth, my eyes widening in horror. I wanted to smack my head over and over again on the wall.

"W-What?" Edward stammered in a strangled voice.

"Edward…I…" that was all I got out before Edward turned around quickly.

"I have to go," he announced, limping away as fast as he could. The sound of his car's motor had only just faded away when Alice rounded on me.

"What was _that_, Bella?" She demanded. Emmett, Jake and Jasper were gaping at me, speechless.

"I-I didn't mean for that to slip out! Heck, I barely thought I liked him as a _friend_! It just…happened! I didn't think I felt anything _close_ to love for him, after…you know…what happened." I finished lamely. Alice's gaze didn't relax.

"But can you deny it?" She asked quietly. Opening my mouth, I wanted to assure her that my brain had simply suffered a temporary lapse in sanity, and that I had no feelings whatsoever towards Edward Cullen, but the words stuck in my throat. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't force the words out. And that's when I realized…I had fallen for Edward Cullen all over again.

"I have to talk to him," I said finally. Jasper stepped forward, concerned. "Now, Bella, let's not be hasty…"

"No. I can't waste any time. I have to talk with him now," I stated firmly, and, pushing past Rose, I exited the house. It was only when I got in my car that I realized I had no idea where Edward would go. I would have to pray to God and rely on my gut instinct. Glancing up at the sky, hoping that it would show some sign of God being in a merciful mood right now, I groaned. Of the very few days in L.A. where it wasn't completely sunny, today had to be one of them. The entire sky was blanketed in thick, grey, unforgiving clouds that promised a storm. Hmph. _What a wonderful omen_, I thought sarcastically.

Driving around the neighborhood, I was just about to give up when I caught a flash of bronze in a park. Slowing down, I saw that it was indeed Edward, and hurriedly parked my car. Jogging over to him where he sat alone, rocking back and forth on a bench swing, I was overcome by an unexpected sense of shyness that I hadn't experienced since I had denounced Marie and became Bella. He looked up at the sound of my footsteps to see me standing directly before me.

"Hey," I whispered.

EPOV

"Hey," I looked up to see Bella standing in front of me. "Hey," I responded with a small smile. "How did you find me?" Bella simply shrugged in response.

"Who's the stalker now?" I teased, and she chuckled lightly.

"It's still you, I'm afraid," she quipped, making me laugh. Just as silence fell once more, Bella spoke. "So..." I shook my head, and she raised an eyebrow at me questioningly. "Let's take a walk. I don't want to talk about this sitting down." She agreed. Before we had gone ten steps, however, Bella started speaking again.

"What do you think of me as, Edward? What do you feel when you think of me? You already know what I feel, as I so imprudently announced it now an hour ago. But what do you feel when you think of me? After learning about everything I've willingly put you through, have your feelings changed?"

"Wow, blunt much?" I said, avoiding the question.

"I've never really believed in being subtle in these situations. It just prolongs the already painful situation. We have to get it over with eventually." Bella replied. I sighed. Like always, she was right. I took a deep breath, already knowing that I would need it.

"My feelings for you will never change, Isabella Marie Swan. I wouldn't have put this much effort into following you around if I didn't truly, completely and irrevocably love you-almost to the point of obsession. What you have told me doesn't change how I feel in the slightest. You've seen me at my worst, accepted it, and helped me change. As for me…I love every part of you, Bella, even the slightly scheming, diabolical, vengeful part. If I can't handle you at your worst, then how can I hope to deserve you at your best?" I said sincerely. Every word I spoke was the truth- like Bella, I didn't believe in sugar-coating things, trying to flatter her by telling her she was perfect.

"So where are we at now?" Bella murmured, so softly I almost didn't hear it.

"I believe it's called an impasse," I answered, my voice gentle. There was a moment's silence. Then suddenly, Bella grabbed me and spun me around so I was facing her. The look in her eyes was fierce, and bored into mine with an intensity that left me staggered and dizzy. "Tell me, Edward," she demanded, "What do you want me to be? Your friend? Your confidant? Your supporter? Your girlfriend? What?"

"I think the last one sounds perfect." I whispered, trying to keep myself from falling and drowning in the depths of those deep brown orbs. She considered this.

"There's one more thing I want you to understand, Edward. If I became your girlfriend, it wouldn't be Marie Swan standing by your side, it would be Bella Swan. Marie is gone, forever. Before I give you an answer, I need you to accept that I am not the girl you fell for in middle school. Do we understand each other?" I was failing miserably in my effort not to get lost in her eyes.

"I believe I understand just fine, Bella. Now, would you mind very much if I kissed you right now?"

"I don't think I would mind at all, Edward." Bella smirked coyly, as she wrapped her arms around my neck.

"Good," was all I got out before I crashed my lips to hers. At that precise moment, as I kissed Isabella Swan for the first time, it started to rain. Water poured down in torrents, drenching us completely from head to toe. I didn't mind though; the rain washed us clean and rinsed away all the hurt and betrayal of the past, while promising another chance at a love already shattered twice. It marked the start of a new beginning.

**A/N: Soo….? What do you think? Pretty intense, huh? REVIEW!**


	21. Brotherly Love

**A/N: Hey, everyone! So sorry if there is any confusion, but I have decided not to give this story up just yet. As in, there will probably be another 3-6 chapters, since just because she forgave Edward doesn't mean she trusts him yet. I have noticed there have not been too many comical parts in the past few chapters…which is understandable, but this story started off funny, and I really want it to end on a light note. Also, I am seriously sick of the fluffy, cheesy crap. Yes, this is a romantic story, but it's supposed to be unorthodox- it is Bella and Edward, after all. So I'm going to add a lot more sarcasm to the cheesiness. This chapter is dedicated to M-Is-ForMusic6 who has mentioned that she'd like to see more 'protective bro' stuff. So, I hope you enjoy this!**

EPOV

I must have looked like such a moron. Correction- a loopy, love-struck, whipped moron. Currently, I was lying on the living room sofa, staring at the wall, a stupid smile on my face as I daydreamed of what happened yesterday.

_As I pulled back from Bella, gasping for air, I looked down at Bella. Her hair was slightly drenched from the rain, in a slight disarray, her cheeks were rosy pink, her lips a bit swollen and her eyes shone like stars. She was fucking beautiful. As for me, I felt like I was in Heaven, literally. It wouldn't surprise me if I was glowing right now. _

_ "You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that," I breathed, making her cheeks turn even redder. I grinned- I wanted to make her blush again._

_ "So," I teased, "Am I a better kisser than Jacob Black?" She swatted me playfully, while making a face. "Eww…way to ruin the moment, Edward. I really don't want to be reminded of that."_

_ "No, seriously. What did he kiss like?" Sad as it may be, I really wanted to know._

_ "Imagine kissing someone like, I don't know, Rosalie or Alice, and you have your answer."_

_ "Gross," I said grimacing. "Wow, you must have been really into this plan," I said without thinking. Bella winced, and turned away. "Jeez, Edward, you don't have to remind me of what a bitch I was. God." _

_ "Hey," I said softly, putting a finger under her chin and forcing her to look back at me, "I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking, and I'm a douche. But I've told you I don't blame you- even _I_ admit I deserved it, and if it got us back together, then who am I to complain? So if I don't mind, you shouldn't either." That got a quick, hard laugh out of her. _

_ "Wow, you _have_ changed."_

_ "Anyway," I said, ignoring that, "let's talk about something else."_

_ "Like what?" She shot back._

_ "Like…" I pretended to think about it, "If we just made out, does that mean I'm your boyfriend?" Bella snorted, to my surprise. "I don't know Edward, doesn't that usually qualify you asking me to be your girlfriend first? I swear, sometimes I think that I'm losing I.Q. points just by spending time with you." I ignored that last comment, already plotting on how I was going to ask her. Bella interrupted my thoughts, again._

_ "So, are you?" _

_ "Am I what?" I questioned. Bella rolled her eyes._

_ "Going to ask me to be your girlfriend, genius!" I noted the heavy sarcasm. _

_ "Nope!" I sing-songed. Bella gaped at me. "At least, not yet. For a girl as special as you, everything has to be perfect!" I tweaked her nose, much like the way she had tweaked mine on her first day to school._

_ "Flattery will get you nowhere. And stop copying my moves, Mr. Chipmunk," Bella grumbled, obviously thinking about the first time she had called me 'Chippy' also._

_ "So, I was thinking…"_

_ "Don't hurt yourself," I quipped. Bella scowled at me._

_ "_Anyway,_ I was thinking that if you don't even have the brain cells needed to ask me out, what _are_ you good at?" _

_ "Ouch," I said, putting a hand to my heart in mock hurt, "I'm good at LOTS of things, Swan, like…um…piano and uh…Spanish, making you blush and kissing."_

_ "I like the last one," Bella said coyly, wrapping her arms around my neck again. Immediately, my breath hitched. Bella must have noticed, because she cocked an eyebrow slightly and smirked. "Kiss me, Edward."_

_ "How can I resist?" I whispered, bringing my lips to hers again. _

Yeah, that was Bella. One second she's all sweet and affectionate, then she's the queen of sarcasm and snarkiness, before transforming into a sexy she-devil. My thoughts were suddenly abruptly cut off by a hand at my throat. I looked up to see that it was Emmett who was currently choking the life out of me. Another look, and I noticed Jacob and Jasper beside him.

"Careful, Emmett," Jasper smirked, "Don't want to hurt Lover Boy, do we?"

"Yeah," Jacob laughed darkly, "Or else Bella will have your ass." These three should have formed a cult. They would have been seriously good at striking fear into the hearts of innocent people.

"Aww, you guys never let me have my fun," Emmett grumbled, but released me.

"Relax, Edward, we're not here to kill you," Jacob assured me.

"Speak for yourself," Jasper muttered. At a look from Jake, though, he immediately was quiet. I always knew I liked Jake…okay, not really, but still.

"Anyway," Emmett interrupted, "We're not gonna waste our breath on the whole "you break her heart and we'll break your face" speech, though maybe we should cover that, just to make sure…"

"Don't start," Jasper warned me suddenly, just as I opened my mouth. "I know that you'll go into that whole 'oh, I'd never even think about hurting her,' but consider your history with my sister, and you'll see why we want to be cautious. And besides, it's our turn to speak. We've all prepared speeches especially for you, so the least you could do is sit up, shut up, and listen. I'll go first.

I won't pretend to approve of your relationship with Bella, but anyone could see that you're head over heels for her. That's the only reason you haven't gotten punched yet. And apparently she really likes you too, for inconceivable reasons. Bella is loyal to those she loves so you don't have to worry about her leaving you anytime soon. However, I have always been the 'wise, older, rational brother' figure to her, and my judgment and opinion influences her greatly, so keep in mind that you don't want to get on my bad side. If I even THINK I see you, say, flirting with another woman, I'll tell her. If I think that you're bad for her, I'll tell her, and the reasons why. She may not fully listen to me, or believe what I say, but my opinion will be enough to plant the first seed of doubt there. That's all I have to say." He motioned for Jacob to go next, before I could reply.

"Wisely spoken, Jazzy boy," he grinned, "Now I see why you skipped a grade." Jasper rolled his eyes. "Anyway, Edward," Jake began, suddenly serious, "I'll admit, you aren't exactly my favorite person right now. But Bella has been alone too long, and she has some serious trust issues regarding love. I think that since you caused them, you're the only one that can truly fix them. You know that I am one of Bella's most trusted friends. I love her, and that's why I agreed to help with her with her whole revenge plan. During it, I saw how you looked at her, I saw how you unconsciously began to change, as if even your subconscious wanted to be better for her. And I saw how she looked at you. So if you're what she needs to be happy, then I'm going to support you, despite my own personal feelings towards you."

"Thank you," I murmured when he finished. Honestly, as sappy as this sounds, I was touched. Jake really was an awesome guy, I saw now. No wonder Bella trusted him so much. He clapped me on the shoulder. "You're a decent guy, Edward. You just have to show it."

"Alright, you done yet?" Emmett asked, obviously irritated. Jake rolled his eyes and motioned for Emmett to proceed. Emmett grinned evilly and stepped forward, cracking his knuckles menacingly. His eyes were alight with anticipation. I squirmed uncomfortably.

"As anyone who knows me will tell you, I'm blunt. I'm tactless, I speak exactly what I think, and I don't believe in sugar-coating things, except when it comes to Rosie, of course. So to put it frankly…if my sister is harmed in any way when she is with you, you are dead. I don't care if it's in school, or with a group of friends, if she is hurt, the blame falls on you. Even if you are standing twenty feet away and she trips, you are expected to catch her. If you fail to do this, you are dead. Even if you had no control over what happened, even if it is not your fault whatsoever, even if a meteor falls out of the sky, if a psycho killer appeared out of nowhere, as long as you are within seeing distance of her, you are responsible for all that happened. And that's only physical hurt…don't even get me started on if she is hurt emotionally. With my sister, that pain is ten times worse. If, for example, Lauren Mallory starts insulting her, you are expected to swiftly, and promptly, punch her so that she is incapable of insulting Bella anymore. Never mind that Lauren is a girl. If _you_ hurt her…all I can say is that I know how to use a gun. I have one in the basement. I know all the best burial places in the woods. I know how to hide a body in some secluded area of L.A. where it will never be found for the rest of time. I know how to use a taser, a bow and arrow, handle a rattlesnake (don't ask)…just know that if Bella is not returned to me sooner than eleven p.m., in less than 100% perfect condition, I will kill you, and not only kill you, I will make your death last as long as humanely possible and as painful as humanely possible. Know that the only thing you have going for you is that you're so pathetically weak and wimpy that if you turn out to have an aggressive, abusive, dominant, freaky BDSM side, Bella will have no problem kicking your sorry ass. And then, when we find out, we will torture you to death, and then find a way to revive you, and murder you again. Now, after everything that I have just said, are you still willing to date my sister?" I looked him straight in the eye.

"Emmett, there is nothing in the world that can keep me from Bella. I know that she is a thousand times too good for me, but if she is willing to have me, then I'm all hers. I don't have the strength to turn away from her, and I definitely am not stupid enough to ruin the chance I have been given. I've lost her too many times for me to even consider giving up a third time. I know the pain of losing her, and I'm not enough of a masochist to want to suffer through it again. I don't know where our relationship is going to go from here, but I'm going to do everything I can to make it work. Before I met her, I never believed in soul-mates and 'the one' and all that crap. Bella has made me believe in all that and more. She is my savior in more ways than one, my angel, my air and I will treat her as such. I won't let anyone scare me into leaving her, including you three. But you are all an important part in her life, and I'd like to come to a truce. If Bella can forgive me, why can't you give me another chance?" I finished, finding Emmett, Jasper, and Jacob all staring at me. Jake had tears in his eyes.

"That…that was _beautiful_!" He sniffled, blowing his nose loudly. Emmett simply grunted, before turning around and heading out the door. Jasper stared at me for a second longer before hesitantly holding out his hand. "Good job," he began lightly, "Though it may not look like it, you're starting to win him over. He was planning on punching you, you know, as a kind of last warning, but your little speech there stopped him. I admit, I'm also impressed. But before you win me over, you have to pass a final test. You have Bella convinced that you deserve another chance. In my opinion, you have to do better than that."

"How?" I asked.

"Convince _me_," Jasper said softly. "You have three days to show me the exact depth of your feelings towards Bella, and let me tell you, I don't do things halfway and I don't expect you to either."

"Wasn't planning on it," I grinned as I took his hand and shook it, "But either way, I'm up for the challenge."

**A/N: So, Edward has a three day deadline to convince Bella's brothers that he can make it up to her! If he fails, he's gonna be hated by Bella's brothers for the rest of time. If he passes, Jasper, at least, will be on his side, along with Jake. Any ideas as to what Edward should do? Oh, and I have another story idea floating around in my head. READ! Here's the general summary: Isabella Swan, the housekeeper's daughter, and Edward Masen, the master's son, grew up hating each other. Edward makes a huge mistake that results in Isabella's supposed death and Edward wallowing in guilt and self-loathing. A century later, they meet again. Will there ever be anything between them than a childhood grudge?**


	22. Final Test

**A/N: HEY, everyone! Happy long weekend and happy Columbus Day! Yeah, the dude like enslaved and killed thousands of Native Americans, but it's because of him that we don't have to go to school. Okay, now that sounds just selfish…but even so, I don't like Columbus. You don't have to agree with me though, I'm just putting that out there. Anyways, I'm going to Virginia this weekend so I'm updating today. Thanks to the people who reviewed! Warning: This chapter contains lots of fluff, so if you're into that kind of stuff, then great. If it makes you want to gag, then suck it up and read it anyway.**

BPOV

I woke up today in a horrible mood. First, I had this really freaky nightmare in which Barney tried to eat me. You know you're messed up when you start envisioning your childhood friends converting to cannibalism. Well, actually it's not technically cannibalism, since Barney isn't human, he's a big purple dinosaur with green spots…but you get the point. Then, when I went downstairs for breakfast, Emmett called me an ugly panda because of the bags under my eyes. I chucked my donut at him. Later, when I went to brush my teeth, I realized the toothpaste ran out. Needless to say, by the time I stubbed my toe on the way out and found a glob of bird poop on the windshield of my Audi, my mood was bordering homicidal.

_Humph. And it's only Monday, too. I'll never make it out of this week alive, _I grumbled. When I got to the parking lot, I saw Edward's silver Volvo. Edward himself, however, was nowhere to be found. Slamming the car door shut, I stormed my way towards the school. Funnily enough, the crowd in front of the front doors immediately parted. I felt like there was a storm cloud over my head, like you see in those cartoons when someone is feeling down. In my head, I imagined lightning flashing in the cloud over my head, sending an unspoken warning to those around me to stay away or die. Yeah, I was kind of dramatic when I was in a bad mood. So absorbed was I in my own pathetic, miserable existence that I didn't notice the rose until I reached in my locker for a pencil and instead grabbed the rose by accident. When I realized the thing in my hand was too soft, long, and smelled too good to be a pencil, I finally looked down, before almost dropping the flower in shock. In my hand was a perfectly pink rose, obviously freshly cut. I noticed the thorns were carefully trimmed off, and, bringing the rose up to my face and breathing in deeply, I couldn't help but smile. Edward hadn't abandoned me after all! It didn't even occur to me to be a bit creeped out by the fact he knew my locker combination- I was too happy. Immediately, I went to find Alice and Rose, both masters on romance.

"Ooh! Oh my god, Bella, did Edward give you that?" Alice squealed. Rose rolled her eyes at her. "Duh, Alice, who else would it be? You know, that explains what he was doing at your locker this morning, grinning like a madman. I was wondering what that was about."

"Aww, that's so sweet, Bella! He obviously loves you so much- who knew that our cousin could be such a gentleman, Rose? Ha, and he even searched up the meaning for a pink rose. You know a guy really loves you when they're willing to sacrifice major manliness points for you by searching up flower meanings, Bella…"

"So what does it mean?" I interrupted, eagerly. Alice thought about it for a moment. "Um, I'm almost positive a pink rose symbolizes appreciation, gratitude, admiration, or something along those lines. A single rose symbolizes utmost devotion and a thorn-less rose symbolizes love at first sight. Aww, Bella! It's like this is his way of saying to you thanks for giving him a second chance, that he really appreciates it, and admires you, and won't give you up again because he loves you too much! That is sooo sweet!" Alice squealed, while Rose just stood there with a smirk on her face.

"Oh, this is _good._ Man, Bella, if you told me a year ago that my cousin Eddie would be totally whipped for a girl, and would be sending her pink roses to make up for being such a jerk in the past, I would have you committed to the nearest mental asylum. But now…" Rose shook her head. "Oh god, I'm going to have so much fun teasing him about it." Alice slapped her. "Way to ruin the moment, Rose. Here I am being happy for Bella while you just stand there plotting ways to torture Edward."

"Hey, at least I…"

"Uh…I have to get to gym. Bye guys," I said, backing away slowly. I'd long since learned that when Alice and Rose bickered, they kept at it for a while. Neither of them even looked up. As I walked away, I couldn't believe how Edward made my day so much better already, and I hadn't even seen him yet. This time, Edward himself was waiting for me outside the locker rooms, holding a yellow rose.

"Hey beautiful," he whispered, brushing my cheek lightly with the pads of his fingers before pulling me in for a kiss.

By the time the day was over, in addition to my pink rose, I had received a yellow one (joy, delight, promise of a new beginning, 'I care'), an orange one (desire, enthusiasm), a burgundy one (unconscious beauty), a white one (reverence, purity, innocence, heavenly), a peach one (appreciation, 'let's get together'), coral (desire, passion), lavender (enchanted love) and finally a red one, which Alice informed me meant 'I love you' but also beauty, courage, respect, passion and sincerity. However, it was Edward's last gift to me that touched me the most. Sitting on the windshield of my car (which, I noticed, had been wiped clean of bird poop) was a small package wrapped in ribbon and shiny blue wrapping paper. Inside were a multitude of Hershey's kisses. I didn't get it until I read the card sitting beside it. In Edward's impeccably neat handwriting, it said: _**A kiss to help you feel better for every time I've made you cry.**_ I felt moisture running down my cheeks and realized I was crying silently.

"Hey, Bella," Jasper's voice came from behind me, making me jump. "What's wrong?" I choked out a laugh. "Nothing, Jasper, it's just…he's so sweet, Jazz, he really has changed." I showed him the card and Hershey's kisses, which I would probably never eat since I would treasure them forever. As his blue eyes scanned the card, they narrowed, and he pursed his lips.

"Well that sucks," I thought I heard him mumble, "The first day isn't even over yet, and he's already passing."

"What?" I asked, not sure I heard correctly.

"Nothing," he smiled, and hugged me. "I'm really glad he seems to have finally realized what you deserve, Bells. Don't tell him this, but I didn't _really_ want to kill him, and I would have had to if he'd screwed this up." He walked away back to where Alice was standing and I grinned. Whether he knew it or not, at least Edward was winning one of my brothers over.

EPOV

I fidgeted nervously behind a column of lockers near the poor area, incredibly self conscious about my appearance. I would have done this for no one but Bella, and even then I had to give myself a pep talk about thirty times. It was Day 2 of the test, and I was determined to pass.

Yesterday, Jasper had come and found me, and wanted to call the whole test thing off. Apparently, he had his doubts that I was only being a gentleman for Bella (I wasn't her boyfriend yet- I was planning on asking her on Day 3) because of this test, and once it was over, I would go back to the jerkwad douche I had always been. I had assured him that going back to the way I was hadn't even crossed my mind, and to continue with the test. I wasn't sure why, but I felt that I _needed_ to pass that damn test. I needed the assurance that I could be good for Bella, and I tried to tell Jasper that. Whether he believed me or not, I couldn't tell, but he agreed to continue with the test. Anyway, I hope that any doubts he had about me only doing this to get on his good side were silenced as soon as he saw me in this outfit. _It's for Bella, Bella deserves this._ I repeated in my head like a mantra.

Just then, Bella _finally _appeared. I waited until she walked past my hiding place, before I stepped out and crept up behind her. Placing my hands over eyes, I whispered lowly, "Guess who?" Okay, that was a bit cheesy, but I couldn't resist, and the fact that she shrieked a little made it all the more worthwhile. She relaxed as soon as she heard my voice. "Edward, don't _do _that!" She scolded, but I could hear the smile in her voice.

"Sorry, couldn't resist," I replied, unrepentant, still not letting go of her.

"Edward, you can let go of me now."

"I don't think so. I'm kidnapping you for a while." I breathed against her neck, making her shiver. I smirked victoriously. Pulling a blindfold out of my pocket, I began to blindfold her.

"But…swimming…" she protested weakly.

"Cleared it with Coach already. She gave me the go-ahead; don't worry, she didn't seem upset at all. In fact, when I told her I needed a night off with my very-soon-to-be girlfriend, she just seemed relieved that I had finally, in her words, 'settled down.'"

"Speaking of that, why haven't you asked me yet? And what makes you assume I'll say yes?"

"I told you, you impatient girl, it needs to be special. And if you didn't accept to be my girlfriend, I wouldn't be able to kiss you, and you wouldn't want that, would you?" To make my point, I began to trail kisses from the edge of her lips, down her neck to her collarbone and back up again, before stopping abruptly.

"As much as I love kissing you, we do have someplace to be," I said.

"Huh, wait, what?" She stammered, slightly dazed and sufficiently dazzled. My ego soared. Then, she seemed to regain her wits and hit my chest, mumbling something about me being 'such a fucking tease.' I led her over to my Volvo, helping her get in, before driving off. On the way to my destination, it didn't escape my notice that I attracted quite a few odd looks before I finally got there. Then, I scooped Bella up in my arms before setting her down again and lifting the blindfold off her.

"Well, what do you think?" Bella took one look at the old, abandoned firefighter's department, the firefighter's truck, me dressed as a fireman and burst out laughing. My ego deflated back down again.

"I'm sorry…Edward…it's just that…you…fireman," was all she managed to choke out.

"Yeah, but I remember you saying on the elevator that you've always wanted to be rescued by a fireman, and I thought…" Bella's laughter trailed off abruptly. "I'm sorry, it's stupid, I shouldn't have…like I said, never mind," I muttered moodily.

"Edward, shut up." I looked up to see Bella staring at me with a strange look in her eyes. "I'm the one who should be sorry. You went to all this trouble and…wow…you still remember what I told you?"

"I remember everything you've ever said to me…it's just that I never truly listened until it was too late." I answered softly. Then, Bella threw herself at me. I staggered back, shocked, as she nuzzled her face in my shoulder. It took a few seconds for my brain to catch up with what happened, but then I was kissing her passionately, crushing her lips to mine, backing her up until her back hit the side of the fire truck. When she pulled back, this time I was the one who was dazzled, and rightly so. Her hair was ruffled up by my hands in them, her eyes were bright, her cheeks flushed and she wore a heartbreaking smirk on her lips. "Mmm, making out with a hot fireman against a red fire truck…might be a new fantasy of mine."

"Bella…" I panted.

"Yes, Edward?"

"You have got to stop talking like that." I said firmly.

"And why's that?" She asked innocently.

"Because I might do something I'll regret, like, oh I don't know, taking you right now against the Volvo or something." Bella's eyes widened. "Oh."

"Oh is right. Now let's go eat our dinner." I said, pulling her towards the entrance of the fire truck. As soon as we went inside, Bella gasped. Inside there were small tables laden with trays filled with subs, hot dogs, hamburgers, etc.

"I didn't know what to get, and it seemed weird to eat super formal and expensive food inside of a fire truck, so…" I shrugged sheepishly.

"I love it! And don't sorry about the food, I love hot dogs." I repressed the urge to laugh at her expression- Bella's eyes were alight with excitement and she had said the words so earnestly, like a little girl.

"Glad to hear it. Let's eat. I didn't rent the fire truck and abandoned fire station, and fill it with food for nothing you know," I smiled as I entwined my hand with Bella's, leading her over.

BPOV

I felt like I was on clouds, no joke. The past two days had been amazing- I couldn't wait to see what today brought. I had a feeling Edward would finally ask me to be his girlfriend, and I couldn't wait. Honestly, I had no idea what the hell he was waiting for, but it was like he was proving to himself that he had the potential to be a good boyfriend before actually becoming one. When I arrived at school, I found Edward waiting for me. That itself was nothing new, but the fact that he seemed extremely jittery today was.

"Good morning, Bella," he said formally.

"Just spit it out," I sighed.

"What?" He seemed shocked.

"Just tell me the reason why you look like a paranoid traumatized soldier from the Vietnam War."

"Uh, Iwasjustwonderingifyou'dgooutwithmetonight?" He said in one breath.

"Say what? Sorry, I didn't catch that," I said.

"Um…would you like to go out with me tonight?" Edward asked, more calmly.

"Have I ever denied you the pleasure of my company before?" I asked cheekily, adding a fake British accent for more effect.

"Why, no ma'am, I can't say you have," Edward responded in like, playing along.

"Then tell me one reason that I should start now?"

"Uh…you're gonna be blindfolded again?" Edward said, dropping the accent. I groaned. "Fine, whatever. God, what is it with you and blindfolds? Of all the guys I could have fell for, I just _had_ to pick one who loved blindfolds. Stupid blindfolds, I mean, why do blindfolds even exist anyway? Blindfolds are completely meaningless, unless you're like a crazy psycho kidnapping guy, but that's why we have drugs and sedatives that knock you out, but I guess if you really are a crazy psycho kidnapping guy, then you can't think clearly…" My voice trailed off, as I found Edward staring at me with an amused expression on his face.

"What?" I asked defensively. "I don't like blindfolds!" He smirked.

"Yeah, Bella, I kind of gathered that. But that doesn't matter- you're still gonna be blindfolded."

Darn blindfolds.

**Many Hours Later**

"This is stupid. Tell me again why I have to be blindfolded?" I grumbled. "I don't see _you_ walking around with a retarded piece of cloth around your head."

"That's because if I had a 'retarded piece of cloth', as you so eloquently put it, around my head, the car would crash into a tree and we'd either end up paralyzed for the rest of our lives or dead," Edward explained easily. "And you're blindfolded so you can get the full effect of what you're seeing. Stop complaining, Bella, we're almost there." It turned out that Edward was speaking the truth because a few minutes later, the car stopped. I tried to step out on my own, but thanks to the damn heels Alice forced me into that 'matched my dark blue dress perfectly' and the damn blindfold Edward had put around my eyes, I was pretty much handicapped, and therefore stumbled. Luckily, Edward was there to catch me.

After much tripping on my part, Edward stopped. Assuming by the 'ding' sound I heard, I assumed we were in an elevator. Another 'ding' sounded, and then everything was still. "Keep still, Bella," I heard Edward murmur, before he gently untied the blindfold. The sight before me made me gasp. We were in a glass elevator, the kind that allows you to see outside. We were standing on the roof of a very tall building, the entire city of L.A. spread out below us. In the fading sunlight, a few minutes before twilight would set in, the city lights twinkling like stars, it truly was the City of Angels. Before us was a table, set for two, with two covered platters on it. Beside two lit candles was a single, red rose set in a delicate glass vase. The blood red of the rose set against the snow white of the tablecloth created an especially vivid effect. In the background, soft music was playing.

I covered my mouth with my hands, already feeling my eyes tear up. It was just so unbearably sweet, and charming, and…oh dear God, please don't let me start bawling.

"Bella?" Edward asked, worried. "Is it too much? I know it's kind of overwhelming, but…oh my god, Bella, are you crying? I didn't mean to make you cry, just…please don't cry, Bella." It sounded as if he were pleading with me.

"It's okay, Edward," I managed a watery smile, "I'm okay. No, I'm definitely much, much more than okay. And these?" I touched my cheek, feeling the moisture from my tears gather there, "They're happy tears." Edward laughed breathlessly in relief, before gathering me in his arms. We just stood there for a moment, holding each other, before Edward pulled away, and held the chair out for me. I sat down, blushing.

"Since when have you been such a gentleman?" I teased gently.

"Since I met you," he answered softly. Then he laughed quietly.

"What?" I questioned, curious.

"It's just that I can't believe how much you've changed me. In a good way, of course," he added, seeing my worried expression, "I'll always owe you for making me grow up."

"You don't owe me," I mumbled, embarrassed.

"Yes I do," he countered. "You've always been more than I deserve, Bella. These few days…I've been trying to prove to myself that I can be someone who deserves you, someone worthy of you. And now that I think I can be that someone, no cockiness intended, I want to ask you something. Bella Swan, will you be my girlfriend?"

Was I ready for this? I asked myself. Was I ready to let go of the past and move forward? Truly forgive him and trust him again after everything he'd done to me? Everything he'd put me through? I didn't even have to think about it. Without hesitation, I responded with a confident "Yes."

"Thank you," Edward whispered, and leaned forward to kiss me. His lips molded to mine perfectly, moving gently against my own, as the last rays of sunlight faded.

EMPOV

I glared at my brother as we drove to see Douche Cullen, a.k.a. Edward. Jasper had dragged me over, saying that it was time I accepted Edward as Bella's boyfriend, seeing as he wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. God, wasn't it enough that I had to sit outside with fucking binoculars spying on Douche Cullen making out with my _sister_ just to see if he would pass that damn test or not? Anyway, just when I thought I couldn't get any more nauseous, do you know what he said to Bella as he walked her to his car? "I want you to know that it doesn't matter what you call yourself, be it Marie, Bella, or even Isabel, you'll always be my girl, and I'll always love you. So stop worrying that I only love the shy girl you were in middle school." And then, he leaned down to kiss her _yet_ again. Jesus. Couldn't that kid get a break? Besides, what about his stalkerish tendencies? Didn't anyone besides me get that that kid was a total creeper? And how the heck did he find out about Bella's fireman fetish?

When I mentioned this to Jasper, he'd simply rolled his eyes and told me that I was jealous I couldn't come up with any good date ideas, or nice things to say without Bella's help. Traitor. I just couldn't see how he could sit back and welcome Edward into the family with open arms after everything he'd done to our sister.

"Because he's the only one who can truly make her happy," Jasper said. Crap, did I say that out loud?

"Yes you did." Shit. Stupid mental/verbal filter was obviously broken. When we entered the living room, Edward didn't look surprised to see us. Jasper, always one to go straight to the point, simply said, "You passed. Congratulations, man. Now I won't have to kill you or spend huge amounts of time planning on how to break you and my sister up." He then fucking _patted _Edward on the back! Some brother he was. Jeez, remind me again why Bella liked him?

I then realized that they were both staring at me, obviously waiting for me to say something. "Huh. Whatever. Don't think this makes us all 'buddy-buddy' now, Cullen. I only came because this bastard dragged me here. You may have fooled Jazzy boy here, with your pansy-ass moves on my sister, but I've still got my eye on you." With that, I stormed out of the room and went upstairs to find my Rosie.

**A/N: Ha ha, Emmett still doesn't like Edward. So how did you like this chapter?**


	23. A Surprise Engagement

**A/N: Hey guys, I'm so sorry I haven't updated for like two weeks! It's just that with school and everything else I'm doing, I really haven't had the time to just sit down and write. So, forgive me, please?**

BPOV- a couple weeks later…

These past few weeks had been absolutely wonderful. Oh, who am I kidding? _Edward_ was absolutely wonderful. He was almost always with me, and if he wasn't, he always left a couple Hershey's kisses where I could find them. He had taken me on five more dates, all to incredibly romantic places, and I could tell, that as much as they tried to hide it, Carlisle and Esme were impressed. Jasper and Jake were impressed. Even Emmett had started to slightly thaw towards Edward ever since he very blatantly and plainly rejected Jessica for the third time since he-wince-almost slept with her. Edward had told me that in his depressed, hopeless, and unbelievably drunken state, she had reminded him a bit of me, and that was why he had accepted her advances. I wasn't sure whether to be more relieved that he hadn't accepted her because he liked her, or more insulted that apparently she reminded him of me. Honestly, I was offended. But back to the point, even Alice and Rose were stunned at Edward's 180 degree spin in behavior. I pity Jasper and Emmett- Ali and Rose had taken to sulking every time one of their dates didn't match up to what Edward had come up with. As for me, I couldn't help but feel just the teensiest bit smug- and it wasn't just because Emmett and Jasper had gotten so desperate they started paying me the big bucks for coming up with date ideas.

"Oh, Bella, I am so _excited!_" Alice squealed, interrupting my trail of thought. "Just think, next year we're gonna be upperclassmen! Juniors! _And_ we get to go to prom!" I smiled to myself- I knew the real reason Alice was so ecstatic was that both Jasper and Emmett had decided to go to UCLA- a pretty decent school, and best of all, it was only a short drive away.

"Well, I'm not. Next year I'm gonna be a senior, and before you know it, I'll be sending my college applications in." Rose shuddered.

"I'm not exactly looking forward to the huge increase in work load either." I grumbled. Alice huffed. "Well then, be that way, you pessimists. See if I care. I'll just find someone else to celebrate with." She stomped off, making Rose and I chuckle.

"That's our Alice," Rose sighed, "Well, then, Bella, ready to head off to work?"

"No, but I don't think my opinion matters."

"Right. But seriously, Bella, don't let my attitude get to you. I mean, it's IS the last day of school, and we're going to enjoy that no matter what."

"You got that right." Little did I know how wrong I was.

Two hours later, I finally got off shift. Before I left, Lauren cornered me, to my great surprise.

"Well, _Bella,_" she sneered my name. "I guess I'll be seeing you a lot this summer, unfortunately."

"What the hell are you talking about?" I asked in disbelief. I was pretty sure Lauren would be the last person I'd see a lot this summer. Lauren's eyes widened at my response.

"You mean Daddy Dearest hasn't told you yet?" She gasped. I stiffened at the mention of Charlie. These past few weeks, I'd seen even less of him, which was really saying something if you thought about it. In fact, I don't think I've seen him at all since last week, when I'd bumped into him on the stairs.

"Told me what? And what does Charlie have to do with this?" I demanded. At this, Lauren let out a loud cackle.

"Oh man, this is priceless. But as much as I'd love to tell you right now, I think I really should leave that to your precious daddy, don't you think?" She flashed me a smug smile started to saunter away. Oh no, she didn't. Leaping after her, I grabbed her by the shoulders and started shaking her. "Tell me, now," I…growled? No, this wasn't the time to think about that and shaking my head to clear it, I focused again on Lauren. "What do you know, and what does my dad have to do with this?"

"Jesus, Swan, quit shaking me. What would people think?" She asked mockingly. But then, perhaps sensing that if she didn't give me a straight answer, and soon, she was about to get run over by my precious Audi, she sighed. "Fine. I'll give you a clue. But only because the look on your face is so pathetic it makes _me _pity you. And for god's sake, let me go!" She shook herself free, and pasted an angelic smile on her face.

"All I'm going to tell you is that my mother just struck the lottery, and soon, if I'm not mistaken, we're going to be _very, very _rich." Lauren's face suddenly darkened. "Also, I think you should know, that I'm not going to let _anybody_, including you, mess that up." Lauren strutted away, leaving me gaping openmouthed after her. I was snapped out of my trance by Lauren's voice telling me to close my mouth before my bad breath attracted flies.

"COME BACK, YOU LITTLE BIT— I began running after her.

"Bella?" A completely different voice stopped me in my tracks. I turned around to see Edward gazing at me, completely nonplussed.

"Oh, hey Edward," I muttered quickly, before turning around again only to find Lauren's car whizzing away from the parking lot. I was cursing her using every swear word I knew, in every language I knew, which, admittedly, wasn't much.

"Hey," I felt a hand on my shoulder, calming me instantly, "You okay?"

"Yeah," I murmured. "Sorry about that. I don't want you thinking I've finally gone completely psycho, but Lauren just said some stuff that was weird, that's all." Edward stiffened.

"Did she insult you?" He asked, his voice suddenly angry. Despite myself, I felt my lips twitch. I loved that Edward was so protective of me. "Nah, it's just…she kept hinting that she knew some big secret that I didn't…never mind, she probably just did it to rile me up anyway. Don't worry about it."

"Okay, if you're sure," Edward appeared unconvinced.

"Positive." I smiled, leaning up and kissing him quickly.

"Hey, I'm not done with you yet!" He pouted, leaning down again and pushing me against the side of a car. After continuing to make out for a few seconds, I pushed him away. "As much as I love kissing you, Edward, we're in the middle of a parking lot. What would your mother think?" I teased.

"Fine then. So, Bella, I was wondering if you'd like to accompany me for dinner, seeing as it's the last day of school?"

"I would love to," I grinned, grabbing his hand and towing us to my car. I loved how he would do this, go on spontaneous dates all the time. When I asked him about it, he simply shrugged and said he was making up for lost time.

As we pulled up at our destination, I couldn't help but laugh. Raising an eyebrow, I asked, "I thought we were supposed to be celebrating the end of the school year?"

"We are," he replied.

"Then what are we doing at school right now?"

"I thought you'd like to say goodbye one last time. We won't see it again for two months, after all."

"Yes, and I'm _so_ disappointed about that." I said sarcastically.

"Okay, enough with the snarkiness. C'mon, let's go inside." He grumbled, taking my hand. To my surprise, we went straight to the swimming pool. When he opened the pool door, I gasped. On deck, next to the bleachers was a small table with two lit candles. Two silver platters were set up on the table.

"Holy crap, Edward, how did you manage to set this up?" I asked incredulously. "You know how strict they are about the 'no-food-in-the-pool-area' rule." In response, Edward simply smirked mischievously, and rubbed the tips of his fingers together. I gasped, and then threw my head back, laughing. "You bribed the school, Edward? Really?" I giggled, shoving him playfully.

"Not the school- just Mr. Danvers, the janitor. It wasn't too hard, considering the pay he earns."

"Edward Cullen!" I mock scolded him.

"C'mon, don't tell me that my bad boy behavior doesn't turn you on," his smirk widening. Despite myself, I blushed. Damnit, sometimes I really hated this body of mine.

"Yes, because bribing the janitor so you can impress your girlfriend is _so _bad." I should really cut back on the sarcasm.

"So you admit you're impressed?" Edward winked. I blushed again. **(AN: Haha, I love this part.)**

"You're impossible."

"And that's why you love me."

"No, that's why I question why I love you."

"So then why?"

"Why what?"

"Why do you love me?"

"Who said I did?" I asked, stalling.

"Bella!" He threw his hands up in exasperation. "You just did!"

"Did I?" I asked, pretending to be surprised.

"Very funny. Now just answer the question!"

"What question?"

"BELLA!"

"Why do you want to know?"

"I just do."

"Can we talk about this while eating?" I whined. "I'm really hungry."

"Fine," Edward relented. Walking over to the table, I grinned. "Fish, Edward? Really?"

"Well, I figured if we were going to be eating by the pool, we might as well eat seafood. And stop trying to distract me."

"Distract you? I wasn't trying to distract you."

"Bella…" Edward warned.

"Fine." I said, giving up. "I just don't see why you want to know."

"Would you believe me if I said I'm actually a little insecure right now?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because you have no reason to be."

"Bella, you're distracting me again."

"No, Edward, before I answer your question and embarrass myself completely, you're answering mine. Why the hell do you feel insecure?" I asked, because the concept of Edward being unsure of _my_ feelings towards completely baffled me.

"Well, it's because you, you know, you." Edward said, as he struggled to get the words out.

"Thanks. That really clears it up."

"It's just…I don't know, maybe the fact that this awful, confusing, emotional, wonderful school year has reminded me that some things _do _end. And I'm well aware that I sound like a girl right now, but it's just that…I don't want this to end. Us." He whispered quietly. I opened my mouth to say something, but he cut me off. "No, I have to get this out. You're so forgiving, and kind, beautiful, intelligent, funny, and you have _no_ idea how 90 percent of the male population at school looks at you, and…"

"Edward," I interrupted, "You have to know that I'm utterly hopeless when it comes to you. It's like I have no reason, no logic whatsoever. Do you think I give every guy I date a third chance? Edward, I'll admit it, you were a jerk. _Were_, Edward. But now you're this amazing, charming, talented, stunning guy any girl would be euphoric to have. But if you really want to know why I love you, why I was willing to start all over, it's because of your _devotion._ I know now that you would never leave me, and it's that fact that drew me in."

"Thank you, Bella," Edward said, softly, cupping my face in his hands. "I really needed that. But now, I realize that I was just being silly. It doesn't really matter to me why you love me."

"No?" I asked skeptically, and with a bit of irritation as well. Jeez, he could have told me that _before_ I started spilling my guts to him and turned ten shades of red.

"No," he breathed. "Just that you do." As he leaned in to kiss me, I felt, as I had so many times before, that sense of security and reassurance, and that everything was going to be okay. I felt as if the world was exactly as it should be, and that everything was perfect. Of course, I should have known that with my luck, that was too good to last.

After two hours of swimming, diving, and yes, kissing, Edward drove me home. On the drive back, I realized that Edward had completely erased all thoughts of Lauren and what she had said. Now, as he dropped me off with yet another kiss, this afternoon's events came back and hit me full force. As I fished for my key, I wondered, what exactly had Lauren meant when she said that her mother had won the lottery? And how the heck did that have anything to do with me, my brothers, and _Charlie_ of all people? I was so preoccupied that I didn't notice that Charlie and an unknown woman were sitting on the living room couch until Charlie said my name.

"Bells?" He called out tentatively. I did a double take, and almost fainted from the shock. What the heck was Charlie doing home? And why was he talking to me? And who the heck was _she?_ Despite the fact that I had not seen nor spoken to my father in forever, my attention was immediately drawn to the woman sitting next to Charlie on the couch, and I took a long moment to study her. She looked to be around her mid-thirties or so, with long, platinum blonde hair, pale skin, and a sickly sweet smile on her face. But that wasn't what caught my attention- my eyes were drawn to Charlie's right arm, which was wrapped around her slim waist, the sparkling engagement ring on her left hand, and her rather fishy looking, cold, grayish-blue eyes, which for some reason seemed oddly familiar…

I was brought out of my trance by Charlie's babbling. I only caught a few words, though.

"Marriage? In September?" I asked sharply. Charlie winced. "Yes, I realize it's kind of short notice, but…"

"Charlie, you abandoned this house for weeks, me, Jazz and Em along with it, and you show up all of a sudden to get _married?_" My voice was rising, and a hot flush was traveling up my neck. I knew myself well enough to know these were bad signs. Apparently Charlie knew too, for he immediately shrank away.

"And to a total stranger, too!" I yelled.

"Now, now, Bella, calm down. I'm sure you'll like Mrs. Mallory and her daughter very well once you get to know them better. Which is why I've planned for the whole family to go on a camping trip this summer! What better way to bond, than to spend two whole months in the woods…" The blood drained from my face, as I suddenly realized where I had seen those eyes before. I had seen them just this afternoon, but it wasn't until I heard her name that I realized. Suddenly, what Lauren said this afternoon made absolute sense, because I was definitely going to be seeing Lauren a lot this summer, and at the end of it, Lauren was going to be one rich little girl thanks to my dad. And at the moment I realized that, I was aware of three things:

Lauren's mom was only marrying my dad because of his money.

My summer was going to suck.

Unless I did something about it, Lauren Mallory was going to become my stepsister.

**A/N: Dun, dun, dun! So, Bella has one summer to thwart Charlie's marriage to the mother of her worst enemy! So how many of you expected that? Review!**


	24. Operation Send Bitches Packing

**A/N: Hey, I'm really sorry about not writing for so long. It's like every time I mean to, I get totally distracted. I was gonna start writing earlier today, but then I knocked over this huge bowl of water and my dad got so pissed at me and I had to clean it up. Also, sorry about last chapter's cliffhanger! I know what I did was completely unexpected but I needed something new and fun to write about, and what better than to write about Bella and crew desperately coming up with ways to end her father's marriage to hell? **

BPOV

"Walkie-talkies?" I asked.

"Check," Jasper replied.

"Silly string?"

"Check," Edward announced.

"Box of tools?"

"Check," Jake said cheerfully, holding up said box of tools for me to see.

"Paintball guns?"

"Definitely check," Emmett grinned.

"Camera, and video recorder?"

"Right here," Rose said.

"And finally fake electronic bugs, snakes, and other random things that might help us?"

"Don't worry Bella, I've got it taken care of," Alice said with an evil grin. I sighed and smiled up at my best friends, brothers and boyfriend. "Okay, we're ready."

Basically, after Charlie's shocking announcement, once my mind had time to fully process it all, I did what any girl would do after finding out that her new stepsister would be her worst enemy- I fainted. When I came to an hour later, I found Edward, Jake, my brothers, and Alice and Rose all standing over me, looking concerned. Then, the scheming started. There was no way, _no way_ that I was allowing Lauren's mom to sink her claws into Charlie and his money, and I was definitely not planning on Lauren being related to me in any which way. To prevent that from happening, however, called for all of my evil genius planning skills, the help of Alice and Rose (who as you well know could be vicious, especially when it involves Lauren), my trusty accomplice from Phoenix Jake, my brothers (pros at pranking, as you also well know) and of course, my boyfriend Edward. Luckily, I had all of them on my side.

"We're coming with you on the camping trip," Rose had said immediately, once the dire situation had been explained to all. "'nuff said."

"Definitely. I mean, other than the fact that it would totally suck for you, and you're my best friend, if I ever marry Jasper, I'm not having that bitch as a sister-in-law." Then Alice promptly shut up as her brain caught up with what she'd said. Cue awkward moment.

"Okay, I'm just going to forget that you ever said anything about your future marriage plans and say that I'm in too. After all, after last time, I'd have to be a world-class idiot to pass up a chance to mess with Lauren again." He finished chuckling, no doubt conjuring up images of Lauren with leeches all over her.

"Now all I have to do is convince Charlie to let me come."

"Don't worry, I'll play the guilt card on him. It should work; he owes us that much seeing as he sprung this on me with no warning." I assured him. Then, turning to Jake, I asked, "You in?"

"Are you kidding?" He grinned widely. "Angry grizzly bears couldn't keep me away. I'm not staying behind letting you guys have all the fun."

"Ah man, this is going to be great." Emmett said rubbing his hands together. "Those bitches won't know what hit them."

As predicted, Charlie grudgingly let Alice, Rose, Jake and Edward come along on the condition that he 'wanted no sexual intercourse this summer'-his words, not mine, and that he was trusting us not to 'make him a grandpa anytime in the near future.' For once, I was thankful how laid back Charlie was when it concerned me, Jasper and Emmett. On the down side, because he let us invite friends, Lauren demanded Jessica Stanley come too (or maybe it was a good thing, seeing as I was really looking forward to getting back at her for almost sleeping with Edward.) Lauren also wanted to invite half the teenage male population of L.A., but that was when Charlie put his foot down. He may be blind (I mean, look at who he chose as a fiancée) but he wasn't _that_ stupid. Carlisle and Esme agreed soon enough, the prospect of a few weeks uninterrupted sex too good to turn down.

Anyway, back to the present. Currently, since there were eleven people coming including me, we were taking three cars to the camping site. Charlie was eager to get there ASAP and he 'didn't want any distractions,' so he divided up all the couples, sans himself and Adele (Lauren's mother). God, what a stupid name. **(AN: No offense to people who are named Adele, Bella is a bit prejudiced in her judgment of the name for obvious reasons.)** So Rose, Alice, Jake and I were riding in one car, Emmett, Jasper (who had put aside their dislike of Edward so they could focus on the more important thing at hand, getting rid of Adele and Lauren) and Edward in the other, and finally Jessica, Lauren, Adele and Charlie. A couple hours later we arrived at Skyline National Park. The place was beautiful. Tall majestic pines surrounded a silvery blue lake that took your breath away with its stillness. The lake, in its quiet beauty, acted as a mirror for the trees, reflecting the pines so exactly that you weren't sure if it was the lake that was the reflection, or actually the real thing. Our cabins were next to the lake, and there were a couple kayaks and canoes next to them. For a second, I just stared, reveling in the peacefulness and quietness of nature. The next second, the silence was shattered.

"Where the FUCK is the T.V.? And the microwave? And the computer?" Lauren shrieked, stomping out of a cabin.

"At home where you left them, I imagine," Rose said in a bored tone.

"This place is a total barren wasteland! It's…it's…inhumane! It's savage! There is no way in _hell_ I am staying here, living like a fucking Indian!"

"Hey Lauren?" I called out.

"What?" She snapped back.

"First of all, there IS no computer, or T.V., or microwave, or whatever the fuck you were shouting about, so suck it up. Second of all, it's racist if you call Indians savage. And third of all? Do us all a favor and shut the hell up."

"You bitch!" She screamed, lunging at me. I neatly dodged out of the way, and she flew head first into the muddy forest ground, completely ruining her designer outfit. I grinned- not a bad way to start off a vacation. Not bad at all.

Of course, my good luck didn't last. I had counted on getting Operation S.B.P. or Operation Send Bitches Packing as soon as possible, but almost immediately, the operation was delayed by complications. Certain complications namely caused by Emmett.

"Jeez, people, can you get any sadder? You've been arguing about a freaking code name for two hours now." Jake said sighing. I nodded in complete agreement.

"Easy for you to say. You're not the one Emmett dubbed 'Goldilocks'," Jasper grumbled. Confused? Yeah, I'll explain. See, Emmett was determined that any good mission should involve code names. In his mind, that would increase the secrecy and security of Operation S.B.P. He then set about giving us code names. I was 'Cinderella', ever since Jake cracked a joke about the similarities between my story and hers. You know, in Cinderella's story there's two evil stepsisters and a stepmother. In mine, there's two evil bitches (Lauren and Jessica) and a soon-to-be evil stepmother (Adele.) I really had no problem with my nickname, but everyone else except for Emmett, Rose and Jake did. Emmett had named Jake 'Wolfy Boy' and himself 'Macho Man.' Since Emmett was totally whipped, he let Rose choose her own name, and she decided on 'Beautiful Siren', or 'Siren' for short. Apparently she'd had a fascination with sirens since seventh grade, enraptured by tales of beautiful mermaids luring sailors their deaths through the power of their voices alone. Rose was intrigued at how they were in equal parts mysterious, irresistible, beautiful and deadly. If that didn't describe Rose, I don't know what did. Everyone else wasn't as pleased. Originally, Emmett had said that Alice would be named 'Pixie Stix.' Alice blew up- figuratively, obviously. After half an hour of bartering, Emmett and Alice agreed on Tinkerbelle, though no party was really satisfied. Emmett was irritated that a barely five foot tall teenage girl was able to get the best of him, and Alice had been the brunt of too many pixie jokes to be happy about being named Tinkerbelle. At least it was better than Pixie Stix. Emmett had come up with the brilliant idea of calling Edward 'Pretty Boy'- something that I found hilarious. Edward disagreed, for obvious reasons. "Straight guys aren't 'pretty,'" he'd muttered under his breath. After another half hour of arguing, they compromised on 'Prince Charming.' Edward had wanted 'knight in shining armor,' but that was a bit too long. Currently, we were working on Jasper.

"Dude, it's just a name," Edward said.

"I didn't hear you saying anything about 'it's just a name,' when you were named 'Pretty Boy,'" Jasper shot back.

"How about we name him 'Captain Hook'?" Rose suggested.

"Uh, I'd really rather not. Smelly, maimed pirates with bad breath and half their teeth missing aren't sexy," Jasper drawled annoyingly. Emmett clenched his teeth. I threw up my hands. "Just come up with a name, goddammit! If you keep on arguing over the most RIDICULOUS things, we'll end up with a new stepmother and evil slut as a stepsister! Jasper, your name is Peter Pan, and that's final. No complaining, no nothing. Nada. Zero. Goose egg. Got it?" I shouted. He nodded back with wide eyes.

"Christ, Bella," Edward mumbled, "you know I love you, but you can be really scary sometimes, you know that? Remind me to never get on your bad side."

"Ah, don't worry Eddie Boy," I smiled back angelically, "This summer my evil side is reserved exclusively for Operation SBP."

THE FIRST PRANK

Later that night…

"Psst! Cinderella calling Macho Man. All is quiet on the western front." I hissed into the walkie talkie.

"Macho Man answering Cinderella. Affirmative. Target is asleep. Tinkerbelle, Peter Pan and Wolfy Boy have got CS and AM covered. Meet you and Charming there in two minutes. We're going in for the kill," Emmett answered back cheerfully. I motioned to Edward and we crept quietly towards Lauren and Jessica's cabin's back window. I didn't trust them enough to go in through the front door. Knowing them, they probably put a bucket of water on top of the door, ready to come crashing down on any intruders. Tip toeing past Charlie and Adele's cabin, I couldn't hold back a grimace as I heard not-so-quiet moans and groans coming from it.

"Disgusting," I muttered.

"Well, at least we know they'll be sufficiently distracted for a couple more hours," Edward answered, though he was grimacing too. You see, it was key to our plan that Charlie not catch us in the act red-handed. Though he probably would figure it out eventually anyway, I was determined that he would have no proof of our part in the pranks. At this point, the plan was simply to infuriate and annoy the Mallory girls so much that they'd decide the money wasn't worth it, and leave. Like in The Parent Trap.

After a couple more minutes of scurrying in shadows, we finally reached the cabin. Rose and Emmett were waiting for us, with a huge sack by them.

"Finally," Rose muttered. "C'mon, the window's unlocked. Suckers." Gleefully, we carefully opened it, and then checked for a full minute or so for any booby traps. Other than a couple sound alarms by the door, we found none. Emmett reached into the sack and pulled out a couple sleeping gerbils he'd bought at a pet store, and placed them gently by Lauren and Jessica's sleeping, snoring forms. The gerbils instantly made themselves comfortable, snuggling up by the parts of the body that were warmest, for example by the neck, armpits, etc. Barely muffling our giggles, we hurriedly went back out the window, before bursting into hysterical laughter. We were soon joined by Jake, Alice and Jasper, and we related the details of our prank to them amidst snickers.

"You don't think this is too much, do you?" Jasper asked after awhile. "I mean, the plan is to get them to leave and freak out, but not to get them to die of heart failure."

"Are you kidding?" Emmett guffawed. "If you're gonna feel bad for anyone, sympathize with the gerbils. Tonight they have to put up with their snores and tomorrow morning, their screams."

"Oh god, I've never wanted the sun to rise sooner," Alice said, still breathless with laughter. "Who wants to make bets on how loud they'll scream?" Bets were quickly made, Jake betting the lowest at 80 decibels, Alice the highest at 120.

As it happened, next morning everyone agreed Alice won the bet. The shrill shriek that shattered the air the next morning was enough to make a deaf mole burrow deeper into the ground to protect its ears.

**A/N: Any ideas for a prank, please review or PM me! **


	25. Week One

**A/N: Hey! Thanks to everyone who reviewed, really. And extra thanks to those who came up with ideas for me to use (fireflies371, BerryEbilBunny, M-IdForMusic6, and ). I will probably be incorporating elements of all your ideas into the following few chapters. I was running out of ideas and was hitting a minor writer's block but your ideas seriously inspired me. Ignore how cheesy that sounded, please.**

WEEK ONE- Monday

BPOV

Breakfast was interesting, to say the least. Jessica and Lauren kept glaring murderously at us. Rose and Alice were glaring menacingly back at them. Edward had an arm around my shoulders protectively, while Emmett was glaring at Edward. Jasper was sitting there looking amused at Emmett's protectiveness. Jake was blissfully unaware of any tension and was wolfing down his eggs and bacon as if told he was never going to be allowed to eat again. Adele was gazing suspiciously at me. Charlie was completely oblivious to everything going on around him, as usual.

"Daddy dear, do we really have to spend a whole month in the _woods?_ Can't we go on a cruise instead?" Lauren asked sweetly. I gritted my teeth, the euphoria coming from the success of last night's prank wearing off quickly. "I mean, there are so many wild animals out here, it's dangerous. Only this morning, I was attacked by rabid mice! Can you believe that?" I snorted. Edward and Jake bit back sniggers. Rose simply rolled her eyes and muttered _"Please, rabid mice? Really?"_

"I don't think getting rabies would affect you all that much, seeing how diseased your brain already is," Alice said sweetly.

"It's a miracle you aren't already foaming at the mouth," I added.

"Well, you would know all about diseased brains, wouldn't you?" Adele snapped.

"And this is why we have to spend a month in the woods, all by ourselves!" Charlie cried out, throwing his hands up. "There is obviously some antagonism going on between you both, and how else are you supposed to work it out and bond?"

"Of course, dad, I wouldn't want to miss the delightful experience of _bonding_ with my future step-family. In fact, unlike those two, I'm quite looking forward to it." My venomous hiss was a stark contrast to my words.

"Hey, what are sausages made of anyway?" Jessica asked, completely out of the blue. As if I needed more proof of how pigheaded she was.

"Cow butt," I muttered to her just as her greedy mouth consumed another mouthful of sausage. Her eyes bulged, and her face turned bright red as she promptly spat out the meat, right in Adele's face. With the exception of Charlie, Lauren, and obviously Adele and Jessica, the rest of the table exploded in laughter.

"Oh my god, Bella, cow butt? That was priceless!" Alice squealed as the pair of us washed and dried the dishes in the cabin that we shared with Rose. "My opinion of you is rising every day, I swear. There's no doubt that by the time this summer is over, Operation SBP will be a success."

"Um, Alice? Look behind you," I whispered. She turned around to see Jessica, Lauren and Adele standing behind her, all trying their best to look intimidating. It was no surprise to me that they failed. Epically.

"Adele! Lauren! And of course, Jessica! To what do I owe this _lovely_ surprise?" I asked sarcastically.

"Enjoying life in the big woods so far? How's the sausage? I heard it was great," Alice piped up innocently. Jessica turned bright red. Adele cleared her throat, loudly.

"Wow, Lauren, no wonder your voice sounds nasally all the time. Apparently sinus problems run in the family." I quipped. Adele and Lauren both scowled at me.

"Your face will freeze like that one day if you keep scowling like that, so I suggest you stop. Plus, it's not polite." I said nonchalantly.

"This is hopeless. We're getting nowhere!" Adele cried out, frustrated.

"Oh, you were trying to get somewhere? So sorry, I didn't realize. Please continue," Alice said sarcastically, motioning with one hand for them to continue. Jessica rolled her eyes, apparently the only comeback she could come up with. No surprise there, but it never failed to strike me how sadly pathetic they all were.

"Look, we came here to strike a truce with you." I raised an eyebrow, but waited for them to finish. "Lauren told me that you and your brothers might oppose your father and mine's marriage, but I never expected your behavior to be this disgraceful! I love your father and he loves me and you have absolutely no right to do anything but respect that." Behind me, Alice quietly slipped away. I started talking, to distract them from noticing she was missing.

"You know, I really wouldn't have done all of this if I really believed you were good for Charlie. Despite my own feelings for you, if I saw that you truly loved him I might not have supported the marriage, but I wouldn't have outright opposed it."

"I do love him!" Adele protested.

"No, you love his money. You know this, I know this, so there's really no need to hide that fact anymore, is there?" Adele narrowed her eyes, but didn't dispute my statement. "Now that we understand each other, will you tell me the _real_ reason you came here. You'll find, Ms. Mallory, that I'm not one for sugar-coating or beating around the bush."

"Fine," she retorted. "I just wanted to let you know that no matter what childlike pranks you come up with, _I will win._ You have a few tricks up your sleeve, well so do I. You don't want me as an enemy, Miss. Swan, I'll tell you that right now. And I, contrary to what you hope, _will not give up._ I'll let you in on a little secret, Miss. Swan, since you seem to be so fond of getting straight to the point. I'm desperate. My bastard husband was a drinker and a gambler, and he left us neck-high in debt before dying of heart failure. Then I met Charlie, and he is the answer to all our problems- a Gods given gift, or at least his money is. I'm not afraid of playing dirty if it means getting that money, and the sooner you learn this and give up, the easier it'll be for you once this is all over." Adele paused, catching her breath. "Well? What do you say?" I was quiet for a moment. Then, "Bring it on. We won't be backing down until you do." Adele smiled tightly at me.

"Well, I guess I won't feel bad about doing this then." She shoved me, hard, sending me reeling and crashing against the sink. "That's for the gerbil trick." She then turned around and exited the cabin. Lauren and Jessica followed, Lauren smirking at me as she did so. I waited until I was absolutely sure they were out of hearing distance before creeping quietly into the bedroom where Alice was waiting with the video camera.

"Did you get it all?" I whispered quietly. She nodded breathlessly. "Jesus, Bella, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine, and can you put that somewhere safe? DO NOT lose it. Got it?" Again she nodded and hurriedly put that in an old empty garbage bag in a dusty corner. There was no way any of the three bitches were going near that.

"So what do we do now? They obviously aren't going to give up and the situation's more serious that we thought."

"As long as we have the video as proof of how evil the three of them are, I think we're safe. That doesn't mean we're going to stop pranking them. I'm not giving that Adele whore the satisfaction of thinking she's won already, and she'll pay for saying that about Charlie and for hitting me. She says she'll play dirty, we've already proven we can play dirtier." Alice nodded. This was no time for 'I don't knows' and 'maybes.' This was war.

TUESDAY- The 2nd Prank

We had filled in the rest of the group on our encounter with Lauren's mom, Jessica and Lauren. Emmett, Edward and Jasper were furious at what she did to me. Jake didn't understand why I didn't just show the tape to Charlie already.

"The tape is a last resort," I explained patiently. "It would hurt him a lot to know his fiancé is a heartless shrew who's just out for his money. We're going to do all we can to make them back out before we show this to Charlie."

"But isn't he going to get hurt anyway? If your plan succeeds, and Adele backs out, wouldn't Charlie be hurt by that?" Jake asked.

"I think it would hurt him less if he thought his fiancé was simply unsure about marriage and backed out, than if he found out how evil his fiancé really is. Also, if we showed him the tape, he'd feel really stupid."

"He'd deserve it," Edward muttered. Everyone looked at him. "What? It's true."

"Well, jerk or not, he's still our father, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't say things like that." Jasper said testily.

"Besides, it's more fun to prank them than to simply show Charlie the tape. I need to get my revenge." I added, hurriedly changing the subject.

"Okay, Bella, I agree with your plan, on one condition," Jake said finally.

"I have a condition too," Emmett added. I sighed. "What?"

"My condition is that we play a prank on them tonight. And I get to do more than watch duty this time." Jake stated.

"Consider it done," I said in relief. That was easy enough.

"My condition, now that we know how evil those shrews are, is that we give them code names as well." Emmett said. Everyone groaned. Twenty minutes later, we came up with four code names, since Emmett figured he wanted to give Charlie one as well.

"Okay, so remember that everyone? Adele is Cruella De Vil, or Cruella for short, Jessica is Sausage, and Lauren is Rabid Mouse. Charlie is Switzerland, since he's neutral and has no clue what the hell is going on around him." Emmett stated.

"Okay! Now that _that's_ over, we have to start planning our prank." Jasper said. Huddling closer, we double checked that no one was around and began to plot.

One Hour Later

"You've reconsidered?" Adele asked suspiciously.

"Yeah," Alice said grudgingly. "But, we have a few conditions."

"Which are?" Lauren asked.

"This is hardly the time nor place to talk about such matters. I don't want Charlie finding out."

"Why?" Jessica asked. "Isn't that exactly what you want?" I shot her a look.

"Look, Charlie is my father. Do you really think I want him hurt that way?" I shook my head. "So I'm not going to risk him overhearing. But I want to meet somewhere tonight, when he's sleeping and there's zero chance that he'll eavesdrop, and discuss the truce then."

"That is completely unnecessary." Adele muttered.

"He's my dad, I'm not taking any chances. And if you don't agree to meeting with us to discuss the truce on my terms, I promise I'll make your life a living hell for the next month. I may not get you to back out of the engagement, but I can make your lives miserable." Alice leered at them, a strange glint in her eye that made them back slightly away. For a short little midget, she could be absolutely terrifying at times. "Meet me at the edge of Indian Trail at midnight."

"That's creepy. I still don't get why we can't discuss the terms of the truce now," Jessica muttered. At that moment, Charlie stepped out of the woods and began heading towards us, a huge smile on his face.

"That's why." I said, before turning around and walking away with Alice.

"Think they'll show?" She whispered once we were out of earshot.

"Definitely. With that look you gave them, they'd be too scared not to." I grinned.

It was ten minutes to midnight, and they hadn't showed yet. Alice was jumpy as hell and kept muttering "Why oh why do we always have to do this at night?" As for me, I was beginning to wish I'd brought Rose with me instead. At that moment, I heard a stick crack somewhere near the trail. Closer inspection revealed three figures shivering in the moonlight.

"Lauren, Jessica, Adele," I greeted them.

"It's just the two of you?" Lauren asked. I smirked slightly- that's what it looked like to them at least. The rest of the gang were hiding behind trees. That way, they felt a little more secure if they thought they outnumbered me and Alice.

"Yeah, Rose and the boys didn't want to wake up." Jessica seemed a bit disappointed Edward wouldn't be here, but the others seemed relieved.

"Okay, let's get down to business." Adele said professionally. We started walking down the trail slowly. I was on term 4, making them up as I went along, which stated that I would still be allowed as much freedom as I had previously, when I heard the twig snap. I struggled to hide my grin when Lauren jumped. "What was that?" She whispered.

"You probably just stepped on a stick, dumbass," Alice smirked.

"Don't insult my child like that," Adele snapped. "Now, I've listened and agreed to all your terms so far, and it's only fair that you agree to some of my terms as well…" I tuned her out after that, making the occasional 'mm-hmms,' and 'ah-huhs'. I had no intention of following through with any of them and was listening intently for the next signal, sure it was going to happen any moment now…

At that moment, Jessica slipped on a patch of slippery red liquid. I had steered Adele and I clear of it, but Jessica didn't notice it in the dark. She shrieked as she landed thump on the ground on a pile of leaves. Lauren screamed once she noticed the red substance her friend had slipped on.

"Oh my…Jesus Christ…is that _BLOOD_?" She let out another earsplitting shriek and stumbled several steps back. Alice's face went white as she began hyperventilating, playing her part well. "It's probably from some wounded animal, or something," Adele tried to reassure everyone. Time for part three, I decided.

"LOOK!" I yelled in shock, cutting Adele off as I pointed to something ghostly white, nestled at the bottom of a tree trunk close to where Lauren had stumbled. Adele's face went a curious shade of grayish yellow and she stood as if mesmerized by the skull I was pointing at. She snapped back to reality when a huge tarantula crawled out one of the empty eye sockets. At that moment, quite close to where we were standing, an eerie savage whoop straight out of a Wild West movie shattered the air. "The legend," Alice whispered. "The Indians from the legend." She began shaking like the girl from The Exorcist. Lauren seized her shoulders and began shaking her. "What legend? Tell us!" Just as Alice opened her mouth to speak, she collapsed. Lauren stared at the dark red stain on the front of her shirt and then went completely berserk, sprinting down the path the opposite direction of the cabins. Jessica, Adele and I soon followed, until I got hit too, letting out a single scream before collapsing to the ground similar to Alice. As expected, neither Jessica Lauren, nor Adele stopped. A dark figure stepped out from behind the trees and held out a hand. I took it, and the figure helped me up. "Thanks, Edward." I grinned at him, kissing his lips quickly. "Nice aim by the way."

"Sorry for hitting you," he said sorrowfully. I waved him off. "It was necessary."

"Here's a gun." He said. I took it and began running. "Let's go. Can't let Em and Rose have all the fun, can we?" Edward laughed as he followed my lead. We quickly caught up to the others who were whooping like true savages and were shooting paintballs everywhere. I began shooting too. Despite the fact that my goal wasn't to hit them with paintballs, it was to herd them until we reached Dead Man's Swamp, that didn't stop any of us from pelting them. After another five minutes of chasing them through the forest we reached our destination. Motioning to a grinning Alice, the two of us stepped forward, still carrying our paintball guns. "Laaauren, Aaadelle, Jeesiicaa," I moaned, walking forward slowly and stiffly, imitating this zombie I saw on T.V. once.

"Joooiin usss," Alice followed my example, and Rose, Edward, Jake, Jasper and Emmett began revealing themselves, stepping behind some trees. They couldn't tell who anyone was besides Alice and I because of the dark. "Nooo!" Lauren shrieked. "Go away! I don't want to become like you!"

"Theen yoouu wiilll diieee!" Alice howled, and began to raise her gun.

"No! Please! Stop!" Adele begged.

"Yoouu shall paaayyy foor hooww yoouu treated mee!" I said mysteriously, also raising my gun. All three of them shrieked and began running deeper into the swamp. I began laughing and motioned to everyone to retreat back into the cover of the trees and we all began running back to camp. Alice high-fived me. "OMG, Bella, you were great! I don't even regret ruining this shirt!"

"Eh, our success was due to their stupidity. They didn't even realize that they weren't being hit by real bullets."

"Still, you guys were both amazing!" Rose congratulated us. "Good acting there, Alice."

"The mechanical spider in the skull was a nice touch," I said thoughtfully. "Who thought of that?"

"I did," Jake stated proudly. "Oh, and we better hurry up if we want to get back to camp and change before they return. But very well done."

"I ran out of paintballs halfway through," Emmett grumbled. Jasper rolled his eyes just as the cabins came into view. We all hurried inside and changed back into our pajamas. 15 minutes later, my walkie talkie began to buzz.

"Calling Cinderella, Siren and Tinkerbell, this is Wolfy Boy. Cruella, Sausage and Rabid Mouse have been sighted. Just letting you know." I passed the message on to Alice and Rose and they both sprang up and ran to the window. Sure enough, there they were, completely covered in mud (which completely covered up any evidence of paint) twigs, leaves and other vermin, a wild crazed look in their eyes. If I didn't know better, I'd have thought the three of them had recently escaped from a mental asylum. I watched as the three of them sprinted to Charlie's cabin, knocking frantically on the door. I opened the window a bit so I could hear what they were saying.

"-I'm telling you, we were attacked! Jessica's telling the truth! Look, Bella and that short friend of hers were there too! They were taken! Look, let's check on them now!" I heard Adele telling Charlie, her voice rising hysterically with each word.

"Adele, darling…" I heard Charlie protest.

"Hurry up, let's go!" She began tugging him towards our cabin. Alice, Rose and I hurriedly jumped back into bed and tried to look like we were sleeping. Two minutes later, there was a knock at our front door. Rose opened it, grumpily.

"What the hell is going on here? Charlie, what the heck are you doing here at three in the morning?"

"Ah…" Charlie seemed embarrassed. "Well, Adele here seemed to have a nightmare…"

"It's not a nightmare! Look at the state of me!" She shrieked.

"And was concerned about the wellbeing of Alice and Bella and just wanted to check on them." He finished. I decided it was time for me to 'get up,' and made a big deal of rubbing my eyes sleepily.

"Dad? What are you doing here?" I yawned. "And why are they covered in sticks and mud? Am I still dreaming?" I asked. Alice appeared beside me. "Whoa! When did you three get a mud bath?" She questioned curiously.

Adele suddenly lunged for me. "What are you playing at?" She hissed into my ear, digging her razor-sharp nails into my flesh. Then just as suddenly, she was gone.

"Adele, I understand that you are obviously a bit shaken from your nightmare, but that is no excuse for you to manhandle Bella," Charlie growled furiously. Adele blinked. I stood there in shock, and suddenly felt a great deal of affection and pride towards my dad for the first time. "Yeah, I'm not playing anything. But if you're seeing dreams like this and they're so vivid that you're walking around at night in the woods, maybe you should start seeing a specialist." I tried my hardest to wipe the smirk off my face and act concerned. I don't think she bought it, because a look of understanding passed over her face and her expression went from wild to furious. "This isn't over, darling," she spat venomously at me, towering over me ignoring Charlie. "You may have won this round," she whispered so Charlie couldn't hear, "But mark my words, you are going to regret this. I only regret not seeing through your little 'truce' act sooner." Then she leaned back and exited, dragging an apologetic looking Charlie behind her.

**A/N: REVIEW! Please? I even wrote an extra long chapter! Was I too hard on the evil trio? **


	26. The Enemy Strikes Back

**A/N: So did you all like the last chapter? The prank ideas were partly thanks to fireflies371, a big part due to BerryEbilBunny, and partly me. POLL: A couple questions for all of you- Which chapter did you like best so far? Which chapter name did you think was best/most appropriate? Who's your favorite character? Favorite quote? Who's your favorite villain? I just want to know what kind of stuff you guys like to read. Any other comments are welcome. IMPORTANT: One more thing- if you ask me a question, any question, in a review I will try to answer it as best as I can. I'm trying to get to 475 reviews? **

BPOV

The next morning I woke up completely disoriented. Adele's words kept replaying in my head- "_This isn't over, darling."_ I shivered. There was something about those words, a menacing edge to them that made me know she meant it.

A sharp pain in my forehead brought me out of my thoughts, and I cursed unintelligibly as I fell down on my butt. Someone nearby me laughed. "Only you, Bells, only you could walk headfirst into a twenty foot tall tree right in front of you."

"Shut up, Jake," I muttered, but I had to smile. It _was_ pretty stupid.

"C'mon," he said, helping me up, "let's get you some breakfast." As I walked off with him, I didn't notice Adele watching me with narrowed eyes from behind another tree, pursing her thin lips thoughtfully.

AdelePOV

The stupid girl walked off with her moronic friend completely unaware of anything wrong, oblivious to me planning my revenge. Idiot girl- did she really think she could win against me? I had to admit she had a taste for pranks, but she didn't know how to play dirty like I did. I also admit that until this moment, I was completely stumped on how I could get her back. However, the bruise beginning to form on her forehead gave me an idea. Now all I had to do was find my _darling_, filthy rich, soon to be husband and put my plan into action.

Charlie was fishing. I sighed- really, if I didn't need that money so much, I'd have left him long ago. Fuck that- I wouldn't have gone near him with a ten foot pole in the first place. The man was pathetic, still moping over that skank of his that died more than a decade ago. All he was interested in were sports, beer and fishing. And now, me. He bored me to death. Even the sex sucked. I kept these thoughts carefully hidden to myself however, as I sashayed over to Charlie. His eyes glazed over and his gaze fell on my swaying hips. I noticed a tiny bit of drool at the edge of his lips, and barely held back a grimace. _Disgusting._ The lengths I would go to for money astounded me sometimes. I shook my head to clear my thoughts- now was the time to act shocked and tearful, not revolted. That said, I immediately threw myself into his arms. Charlie let out an _oomph_, but caught me.

"Adele…what…what's wrong?" He asked, awkwardly patting my back as I fake sobbed into his chest.

"I-I'm s-sorry, it's…it's j-just too horrible." I cried.

"Adele, dear, please tell me what's wrong," he pleaded.

"I-it's B-b-Bella," was all I managed to get out between heaving sobs. Charlie immediately stiffened and I smirked victoriously, still hiding my face so Charlie couldn't see.

"What! What's wrong with Bella? Tell me!" He commanded, shaking my shoulders. Interesting. He still loved his daughter, then, though I never would have guessed since they interacted with each other the way they would a stranger. I almost felt bad that I was using his love for his daughter against him. On second thought- nah. Amidst gasps, sobs, and hysteria I managed to get the heartrendingly tragic story out. How I had seen Edward shove Bella against a tree. How he began hitting her, ignoring her cries and pleas. How he had threatened her not to tell anyone. How he would have raped her had not he discovered me watching. And lastly, how I had turned around and ran straight to him, to tell him, Bella's father, the 'truth' of his daughter's relationship. Internally I was congratulating myself on this plan. I had seen how much Bella relied on Edward. Losing her second in command would undoubtedly be a huge blow to her. During this time, Charlie's face had hardened more and more, and his eyes had tightened. By the time I finished, his hands were in tight fists.

"That bastard," he muttered, getting up and pacing. His eyes flashed and for a moment, I was almost frightened. He then turned to me and his eyes softened slightly.

"Thank you so much for coming straight to me and telling me this," he murmured, kissing me. "I don't know how I can ever repay you for this."

"It was no problem, Charlie," I told him, lying through my teeth, "After all, I care for my future daughter very deeply and I certainly don't want any harm to come to her." As I walked Charlie walk away, I grinned to myself. He bought it- _hook, line, and sinker._

BPOV

I was having a water fight with the gang down at the lake when Charlie came. "Bella," He called out, "Can I speak to you in private?"

"Can it wait for a bit?" I whined. Looking up, my eyes widened in surprise. There was a vein pulsing in Charlie's forehead and his body was visibly strained. However, it was the intense fury in his eyes that caught me off guard.

"Dad?" I asked a bit more tentatively. "What's wrong?"

"The bruise on your forehead is what's wrong," he replied though gritted teeth. By now, the splashing around me had completely stopped. I raised a hand to my face self-consciously.

"Care to explain how it got there?" He growled.

"I—"

"Or maybe it would be more appropriate for Edward to explain?" His eerily calm voice was beginning to scare me. Meanwhile, next to me, Edward's eyes widened.

"Dad, it's no big deal…" Charlie rounded on me.

"_No big deal_? I suppose the scratches on your arms are also 'no big deal'?" I looked down and groaned inwardly. The scratches were from last night, from the trees scraping at me when I ran past them to pelt Adele, Lauren and Jessica with paintballs. But why was he noticing them _now?_

"Charlie," Jake spoke up, "The bruise on her forehead was from walking into a tree this morning. The scratches were from playing…tag in the woods." He explained easily. I shot him a grateful look. That was when Charlie exploded.

"So I suppose you're on his side too? I can't believe this. I expected better of you Jake, I thought Billy had taught you better than to support scum like Cullen." He started pacing like a madman while everyone else just looked shocked.

"Sir," Edward began. Charlie whipped around, glaring murderously at Edward and punched him in the jaw. Alice and I both screamed in unison. I rushed over to Edward, helping him up.

"What is your _problem?_" I screamed at Charlie. He ignored me.

"It's all over now, _Edward._ Adele told me everything. But maybe the consequences for you will be slightly less if you fess up now," He snarled, grabbing onto Edward's shirt and throwing him back. At this moment, Adele walked into view. Leaping up, I lunged at her, pinning her against a tree. "What did you tell him?" I hissed. She smiled maliciously. "Why, only the truth of course. That Edward was abusing you." There was a collective gasp around me. Adele traced the bruise on my forehead lightly with a blood red fingernail. "Don't worry, Bella, you don't have to hide the truth any longer. Edward will never go near you again." Then, leaning in, she whispered, "I said I'd get you back, didn't I? You should have heeded my warning."

*insert major fit and screaming from Bella here*

JPOV- two hours later.

"I can't believe you two." Charlie said, pacing in front of the two of us. I no longer referred to him as _'Dad'._ "Your sister is being abused and you take the side of her abuser?"

"If I remember correctly, Bella took the side of Edward too." Emmett spat out.

"She was obviously terrified of what would happen if she didn't," Charlie replied. "I've encountered many of these cases, where the victim in question is too scared or in denial to speak out against her tormentor. You two, on the other hand…even with the evidence against him, you still refuse to accept the truth and encourage her to leave him and get help. In fact, you do the opposite!"

"What evidence? Last time I checked, the only evidence against him was that bruise on Bella's forehead, a couple of minor scratches, and Adele's word. You honestly think that if Bella was being abused, and simply too frightened to tell anyone, we wouldn't notice?" I snapped.

"I—" Charlie began.

"No, you listen to me, since you were determined not to listen to Bella a few hours ago!" I winced, as I recalled my baby sister hurling things at Charlie when he wouldn't listen to the plain truth- _that Edward was one of the last people on earth who would ever lay a hand on her_. "You'd have to be blind, or freaking retarded not to notice that with Edward, Bella's happier than ever before! Is that the mentality psyche of an abuse victim? Or that Edward looks at Bella like his personal savior and treats her like a servant would his queen. Does that show the signs of being an abuser?"

"Don't you dare speak to me like that!" Charlie snapped. "I'm your father!"

"Are you?" Emmett asked quietly. That shut Charlie up. "Because you haven't done anything a father should do, except give birth to us. Ever since the age of five, you haven't been our father. You go on about all the abuse that Edward has supposedly done to Bella, but you disregard the face that we could probably file a report against you for child neglect. **(A/N: Ooh…burn)**You turned away when we needed you most. You may have lost your wife, but we lost a mother. For years, we've made up excuses for you, but no longer."

"That…that is irrelevant!" Charlie sputtered. "We were talking about Bella. And while I may have been a bit distant for a few years, I still want the best for you. And what's best for Bella is staying away from that son of a bitch who's hurting her. I would appreciate it if you guys would get that into your heads." I gave a low dark laugh.

"You say you want the best for her, but how can you know what's best for her if you don't even know her?"

"I do know her! She's my daughter!" Charlie protested, but I could sense a grain of doubt inside him.

"Oh really?" Emmett asked sarcastically. "Then what's her favorite color, huh?"

"Pink," Charlie answered confidently.

"Yeah," Emmett snorted. "When she was five."

"What's her favorite mythical creature?"

"Werewolf?"

"No, vampire. She has an unhealthy obsession with them."

"Sport?"

"Cheerleading?"

"No, swimming."

"Food?"

"Pizza?"

"No, mushroom ravioli. And spaghetti."

"Top career choice?"

"Uh, lawyer?"

"No, she wants to be either a doctor or a social worker." This went on for a while. Never once did Charlie get the answer right.

"Face it, Charlie, you don't know anything about any of us. You don't know how Bella has a fireman fetish, and has hated chemistry ever since she accidentally burned an eyebrow off. You don't know your own daughter, Charlie, because if you did, you would know that if she was ever hit or abused in any way, she would probably knee her attacker where it hurts, dump a bottle of pepper spray down their throat, and gouge their eyes out for good measure. You would know that she would never defend someone like she has Edward this afternoon, unless she truly loved them. You would know that she would never stay with anyone who didn't treat her like she deserves to be treated. And most importantly, you would know that nothing can keep her from Edward, not you or even a fucking restraining order." Emmett shouted, his voice rising with every word.

"It really shows something about what kind of father you are if you take the word of your fiancé over your daughter's." I added. Charlie gaped at me, his mouth open. I felt a surge of satisfaction seeing the shame in his eyes, but it was soon overshadowed by his pigheaded stubbornness. "But why would Adele lie? She has no reason to," Charlie said. I opened my mouth to tell him that Adele only wanted him for his money, and was willing to do anything do get it, even if it meant accusing an innocent boy of a heinous crime, but then closed it again. _It would do no good,_ I thought wearily. Charlie was too deep in denial to acknowledge anything I said. He still believed in Adele and nothing would change that, and the only thing we had succeeded in doing was delay Charlie a bit from sending Edward back to L.A. by giving him something to ponder. So instead I said, "For such a highly esteemed bodyguard, you are unbelievably stupid, you know that?"

**A/N: *Gasp* I know, evil right? So did you enjoy that little peek into Adele's mind? Oh, and I just wanted to say there will be more romance between B and E shortly, just not now. And Emmett stood up for Edward! Guess he finally won Em over, huh? DON'T FORGET THE POLL! Questions in the before-chapter author's note.**


	27. Drowning In Irony

**A/N: Hey everyone, thanks to anyone who reviewed! Hope you like this chapter.**

BPOV

"Edward, what's wrong?" I finally asked. I'd cornered him into taking a walk with me in the woods since frankly, he was scaring me. Ever since Charlie had accused him of attacking me, he'd been acting weird. He'd get this faraway look in his eyes, and then stare at me intensely, tortured eyes burning with guilt. Edward raised an eyebrow at me. "Okay, stupid question. I know what's wrong, you've just been falsely accused of beating/almost raping me, but I don't understand why you're so…I don't know…why you look so guilty! _I_ know Adele's lying, _you_ know Adele's lying, our friends know Adele's lying and now all we have to do is convince Charlie Adele's lying." Edward didn't answer. "_Please_, Edward, tell me what's wrong!" Great, I was begging now. "It was a sick thing for Adele to do, but I swear we'll get her back for this."

"That's not why I'm upset," Edward murmured, so quietly I almost didn't catch it. "You don't understand Bella."

"Then make me understand!" I cried out.

"It's just…I couldn't help but think when Charlie was yelling at me about hurting his baby girl that he wasn't entirely wrong. He was just a bit late in his accusations." Edward took my face in his large strong hands, looking almost desperate. "If…if this had happened only a few years ago, he would have been completely justified in acting this way. I feel like fate and karma and all that shit has finally caught up to my actions, and this is how I'm paying for it, by losing you. Because face it, Bella," here Edward gave a hard frustrated laugh, "Charlie isn't going to accept the truth anytime soon. Not to mention there's no way he's going to let me stay past tomorrow and he's going to do everything he can to prevent me from seeing you. This afternoon was like a slap in the face and the worst part is that I deserved every second of it. I can't even argue against him because I know he's speaking the truth that I don't deserve you, and I deserve losing you for every time I made you cry, betrayed your trust, for every bruise on your skin that formed as a result of my actions…"

"So that's it?" I asked fiercely. "You're just going to give me up because you think you don't deserve me?" Edward's eyes widened. "No, Bella, I didn't mean—"

"I didn't give you this chance so you could give up at the first sight of trouble and go scurrying back into your hidey hole like the coward you are, Edward." I spat. "Adele doesn't determine if you're good enough for me. Neither does Charlie. _You _determine whether you deserve me, Edward," I growled, reaching up and fisting my hands in his hair, yanking his face down so that it was inches from mine. "Prove you deserve this. Deserve _us. _Fight for me." And then he was kissing me, backing me up until my back was against a tree. It wasn't a loving, gentle kiss either. It was a hard, passionate edge, one in which we both poured all our insecurities and fear, pain and stress, frustration and fury into. I was the one who finally pulled away, gasping for air. Edward smiled faintly as I nuzzled into his chest, and for a moment we just stood there in silence.

"Thanks," Edward said finally after a long pause. At my inquiring gaze, he specified "For not taking any of my shit. I'll be too terrified of you, Oh Almighty Bella, to quit fighting now."

"Well you better not," I mumbled, "Or else I'll kick your sorry ass, Edward Cullen. Don't think I won't do it."

"If by 'kicking my sorry ass' actually means 'making out heavily against a tree', by all means be my guest," my stupid, frustrating but nonetheless absolutely adorable boyfriend quipped. His adorableness didn't keep me from smacking the back of his head though. "But really, Edward," I continued more seriously, "You have to stop blaming yourself for what happened. We've both made plenty of mistakes since then, you've forgiven mine and I've forgiven yours, and it's made us both stronger, better people. Don't wallow in the past, focus on the present and future. And the only way you can do that is forgive yourself. In the weeks since we got back together, you've more than proved you deserve this chance, and now I trust you just as much as I trust my brothers, or Alice and Rose, or Jake." Looking up into Edward's surprisingly moved green eyes, I realized that I had never really said I trusted him out loud before. Like that kiss, this was also something I'd been holding back. But now I realized that I meant every word of it, and so repeated the statement. "I trust you. Don't disappoint me, okay Edward?" I asked, my voice small.

"Never," he whispered back. Not for the first time, I was struck by how much he had matured from the smug, cocky, insensitive player of only a few months ago. "Not again." I smiled sadly. "Love you."

"Love you too," Edward murmured, leaning down to kiss me and as he did so, in the last fading rays of sunlight that marked the end of each day, I allowed myself to just forget; forget everything that had happened the past few days- Adele, Charlie, Lauren and Jessica, the hours spent planning each next prank- and lose myself in the scent, smell and taste of the man I loved.

THE NEXT MORNING

It was ten the next morning. Charlie had insisted that I go with Adele, Lauren and Jessica for a morning canoe ride. As if I didn't have enough reasons to resent him- now he was trying to keep me and Edward apart in the last few hours we had together before Charlie dropped him off at L.A.

"Bella, your behavior is childish and unacceptable," Charlie growled as he helped Adele put on a new life jacket after she discovered her old one was smothered on the inside in something suspiciously resembling a mixture of tar and honey. I didn't even try to hide my triumphant smirk. What was the point, really? "I understand that you're frightened that Edward might do something to you if you don't take his side, but you have to understand that Edward isn't ever going to hurt you again. At two this afternoon, I'm driving him straight back to the city and will take care of him there."

"For the last time, I'm not scared of Edward!" I exploded, throwing my hands up. "Why can't you comprehend that Edward never hurt me, and never will hurt me? Why won't you accept that your so called love of your life is a lying bitch who could care less if I died?" I was past the point of caring about Charlie's feelings now. "Ha- if I were on the verge of death, she'd probably stand by and do absolutely nothing. Wait no- if I was ever dying, she'd probably be the cause of it!" It was almost freaky how my prediction came true not an hour later.

Charlie's face darkened. "Get in the boat, Isabella." I did, but not before flipping both him and Adele off. "Me, and my three worse enemies in a tiny, cramped canoe," I muttered. "My oh my, isn't this just a disaster waiting to happen?"

I lost it fifteen minutes later. We were floating in the middle of the lake. The Skank Trio was too lazy and concerned about their nails to row, and I certainly wasn't about to give them the satisfaction by doing all the work. Adele and Lauren were busy taunting me about Edward and Charlie while I was gritting my teeth. Jessica was busy giggling and sexting her boyfriend, if you could even call him that. Finally, though, Adele struck a nerve. "So, Isabella, how does it feel knowing that your father cares more for me than for you?" She teased. "Knowing that he turns a deaf ear to you, and is so devoted to me, he'll listen to everything I say. I have to admit, even I was surprised at how easy my plan went, since anyone with two eyes and a brain could see how pathetically obsessed and head over heels that boy was." Adele shook her head mockingly. Lauren followed her mother's lead cruelly. "I almost feel bad for you Bella. You really have lost everything this time, didn't you?" She sighed in mock sympathy. "Your life is so sad that I would pity you if you weren't such a worthless slut." (Hypocritical, right?) I suppose those genes must come from your skank of a mother's side, hmm Bella? It's no wonder she died so soon, anyone would have if they had you as their poor excuse for a daughter." Can you guess the exact point during this conversation that I snapped? Yeah, it was right about now.

"Yeah, you would know all about being a skank, wouldn't you Lauren?" I asked, my entire body shaking with rage. "Not to mention pity. Needing copious amounts of plastic surgery to have even the HOPE of attracting a guy." My voice trembled slightly as Lauren gasped, her hands automatically flying to her huge size D breasts. I grabbed a hold of one of the fish Charlie had gotten earlier and slapped it across Lauren's face. She shrieked and lunged for me. She only got another face full of smelly fish. "You BITCH!" Both Adele and Jessica screamed. Adele got to me first. Before I could defend myself, she slapped me full across the face, the impact sending me flying. As I flew through the air, my head somehow managed to hit the side of the canoe right before I went overboard, effectively knocking me out. As I sank through the water, the blood from my forehead blurring my eyes, I had only one thought before losing consciousness completely: _I'm drowning. _I thought blankly. _I'm captain of Volterra High's swimming team and I'm drowning. The irony is literally killing me here._

I felt tired, so tired. It felt like my arms and legs were laden with those twenty pound weights you find in the gym. All I wanted to do was to curl up into a ball and sleep. I was just about to do so when I heard an annoying buzzing in my head, kind of like static on a radio with a bad signal. It was faint at first, but growing steadily louder each second. I growled internally. Couldn't whatever was causing the buzzing tell I was trying to _sleep?_ Apparently not, for accompanying the buzzing was a heavy slap to my chest. I gasped in pain, only to have another, heavier shove be delivered directly where my lungs were. It was beginning to seriously hurt, and I began to panic. There was definitely pain now, my lungs were burning up, and my heart was on fire…

I sat up abruptly, spewing water from my mouth and coughing madly. The next thing I knew, a pair of arms was around me, strangling me.

"Oh Bella!" Alice sobbed, her arms still around me while I struggled to breathe. "I am so sorry! I swear, I would have gotten you out sooner, but I had only just seen Adele shove you off that boat and then I shouted for help and tried to swim out, only I couldn't find you, and, oh Bella…" She said all of this in one breath.

"Alice, don't strangle her," Rose said, her face paler than I had ever seen it. Alice released me, and I had a moment's breath before another, stronger pair of arms encircled me. I breathed in the familiar scent and smiled.

"I take it you're the one who saved me?" I asked lightly. Edward smiled tightly.

"If you could call it that." The next second, his mouth was on mine, hard. "Don't ever scare me like that again, okay? I just got you back for a few months and I'm not letting you leave me again so soon." He growled.

"Edward, relax," I breathed. "I'm fine, see?" I motioned to my living, breathing body.

"If you can call that 'fine,'" Edward pointed to my head. I touched my right temple lightly and winced. Great, a concussion to add to my near drowning, that's just what I need. "Not to mention that you're extremely lucky to be alive. If you had been in that water just a minute longer, if I couldn't find you…" He shuddered. Just then, I realized something.

"Where are Em, Jazz and Jake?" I asked, frowning. Rose cracked a smile. "Well, as soon as Jake saw you, he thought you had drowned and passed out. Jasper went pale and ran to get a first aid kit. Emmett…well, he went insane with worry and anger. When he heard what happened to you, he was in such a hurry to get to you that he didn't watch where he was going, missed the door of the cabin and hit the wall instead. He's currently with Jake in dreamland." I sighed. That sounded just like Emmett. "Okay then…where is Charlie?" Despite the fact that he and I were currently pretty hostile towards one another, I was more than a little hurt that my own father be by my side after my near-death.

"BELLA!" Jasper yelled. I looked up to see him drop his first aid kit, and sprint over. My normally reserved, tranquil brother was in a mess. His blond hair was sticking up crazily in all directions, his eyes wild with relief. Jasper tackled me, nearly knocking me over with the force of his hug.

"Thank god," he breathed, brushing my hair to the side. He hugged me again. "I was so worried. If I lost you…" Oh my god, Jasper Swan was tearing up on me. I couldn't believe it. He hadn't cried since Renee's funeral. I did the only thing I could think of to comfort him and convince him I was really alive- I hugged him back fiercely.

"Oh, and Charlie's taking care of some things with Adele, Lauren and Jessica." Jasper said a moment later. "Are you well enough to walk, Bella? Because this is something you _definitely_ want to see."

"Are you kidding?" I asked, getting to my feet. "I, the person who hates the skank trio above everything else, miss an opportunity of a lifetime to see them get yelled at? Ridiculous."

"Opportunity of a lifetime or not, there is no way you are ready to walk on your own yet," Edward said firmly. He then scooped me up bridal style, ignoring my halfhearted protests. I heard them before I actually saw them.

"It was an accident, Charlie! These things happen! You know Bella was a bit reluctant to accept a new mother. It's a common thing amongst children of divorced parents to feel that the new stepmother will take the place of the biological mother," Adele stated, sounding like she was quoting one of those freaking parenthood books. "Bella slapped Lauren with a fish! We were provoked!"

"That's still no reason for you to shove her off the side of a boat, Adele!" Charlie shouted. "And yes, I do believe Alice, and I would have believed her even if I didn't see the whole incident yourself!"

"Yes, I understand my actions were inexcusable," Adele said, backing down now, trying to placate him. "I am sorry that I lost control of my temper. But to see my daughter being manhandled, treated wrongly and insulted like that, I just lost control for a moment. This all never would have happened if Bella hadn't hit Lauren with a fish in the first place."

"And that would never have happened if you hadn't insulted my mother, thrown the fact that she was dead in my face, and accused us both of being 'worthless sluts' and 'skanks.'" I said quietly. At my words, Charlie's face darkened. Both Jasper and Edward looked like they wanted to murder someone. Alice and Rose looked like they were contemplating new and improved methods of torture.

"Adele, is this true?" Charlie asked, his voice deadly. For once, Adele looked lost, a deer in the headlights look in her eyes. That was all the answer he needed. Ignoring both Lauren and Jessica's protests that I was lying, he turned around, pointing a finger to the cabin.

"Go," he commanded coldly.

"But-" Adele stammered.

"I said, go! I need time to think," Charlie said, voice getting icier with each word. Adele took one look at his face and scurried away, Lauren and her sidekick right behind her. The moment they disappeared, he sank to the ground, his face in his hands. For the first time, I noted just how tired and aged he looked.

"Charlie?" I asked timidly. Turning around, I motioned for everyone else to leave, and they did so, albeit reluctantly. Once they all left, Charlie turned his head to me slightly.

"Edward never laid a hand on me, Dad," I said. He nodded.

"I know. After today, I just don't see how that boy would ever hurt you. You didn't see how crazy worried he was, and God knows I have never seen a man, dead or alive, swim as fast as Edward Cullen did today. What I just don't understand is why Adele would lie." I smiled sadly and patted his shoulder.

"The answer is right in front of you, dad. You just don't want to see it."

Later at dinner, when Adele timidly asked Charlie why Edward was still here, he replied that Edward was staying for the rest of the camping trip with us and as of now, was as much a part of this family as she was.

"You're just going to let him stay? It's a trick, Charlie! He only saved Bella to get back into your good graces! He's hurting your daughter right under your nose, and you're going to let him?" She shrieked, a bit desperately.

"Adele, the only person I have ever seen hurt my daughter is you and that daughter of yours," he stated coldly, before reaching over for a second serving of soup. No one ever brought up that topic again.

**A/N: What do you think? REVIEW!**


	28. Epilogue

**A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in a while! Major writer's block. :(**

BPOV

The next couple of days were pure hell. Well, that's a lie. Really, I'm just being overdramatic. But can you blame me if you were the one sitting bored in bed (thanks to Charlie, who was unnecessarily concerned about my health and insisted I 'take it easy' for now) while your gorgeous boyfriend, best friends and brothers were out having the time of their lives pranking the Skank Trio? It's just not fair. But anyway, I'll give you an overview of what happened: Day One after my 'accident': a nasty incident involving a screaming Lauren, a hyperventilating Adele, a fainting Jessica, lots of honey, and what seemed like an entire colony of fire ants. Where Rose got the ants, I'll never know.

Day Two: Charlie had to rescue Lauren and Jessica from a salivating bear by scaring it off with a few gunshots. Charlie said it had probably just smelled food and was hungry. Coincidentally enough, a few bass went missing from Charlie's fish supply the same day the bear came after Lauren and Jessica.

Day Three: Charlie received a call on Adele's cell phone about the results of Lauren's STD test. Apparently, Lauren has gonorrhea. Two hours later, a call from Planned Parenthood came informing Charlie about an abortion appointment in two weeks. Don't even ask me how Jake and Rose pulled that off.

Day Four a.k.a. Today: Adele finally blew up. (Not literally, unfortunately.)

"Charlie, I've had enough!" Adele screamed. Ignoring Edward's protests, I jumped up and ran outside. To be honest, Adele looked a bit demented; her hair flying all over the place and her eyes wild, like in that movie _The Exorcist._ I also noticed that her skin looked like a newly made t-dyed t-shirt, an interesting mixture of neon green, yellow, pink, purple, smurf blue, and a really grotesque looking orange.

"Wait till you see the other two!" Alice whispered gleefully, coming up from behind me. Sure enough, Lauren and Jessica came into view a few minutes later. Well, maybe the terms Freaky Clown from the movie It, and Emo Girl were more appropriate. Lauren was in full clown gear, complete with the suit (which looked painted on), wig, make up, nose, and shoes. Jessica was wearing so much black eyeliner she would've made Adam Lambert proud, was completely decked in black (again, painted on) and her hair was now the shade of tar.

"What…how…?" I gasped, between fits of laughter.

"Jake's idea. Not quite as good as Rose with the STDs, but still. Actually, they got off easy. Jasper wanted to tar and feather them. Not to mention the paint is washable." Alice said in one breath.

"_Shit._ Where did you get this stuff?" Edward asked in awe. Yeah, he had been missing out too, insisting on keeping me company instead. I knew there was a reason I love him.

"Jake bought them in secret when he went shopping with Charlie for supplies," Jazz replied, appearing out of nowhere.

"Well, kudos to him," Edward muttered. I turned my attention back to the scene. Adele was screaming obscenities at Charlie, and Charlie…well, he was looking like he was trying hard not to laugh.

"Look, _honey_, I've put up with your devil spawn for weeks now, hoping that you would open your eyes and knock some sense into them. They've been nothing but a pain in my ass this whole time. So let me get some things clear- once the wedding is over, they're _gone,_ got it? You've got money, ship them off to Japan or something for boarding school, but they're not coming anywhere near _my _house." Charlie's face hardened.

"Now, see here Adele, they're just kids playing some harmless pranks…" Charlie was soon cut off by Emmett, who was swinging a vaguely familiar bundle. My eyes widened as I realized it was the recording Alice had taken weeks before.

"I really don't think you're in any position to make threats, considering you're gonna be the one gone, not us." Emmett stated calmly. Our eyes met, and my brother quirked an eyebrow, asking a silent question. I nodded, giving him permission to use the recording. Honestly, I just wanted Adele out of our lives ASAP, and the video recording was a sure-fire way to do that. I would have used it sooner, had I not been having so much fun with the pranks.

"What are you talking about?" Adele snapped, at the same time Jessica piped up and asked, "Hey, what's in there?"

"Proof that you're too much of a whoring bitch to be a suitable mother," Jake said easily. Lauren lunged for the bundle, but Emmett tossed it gently to Rose who grinned, pulled out the recorder and hit play. Adele's eyes widened as she heard her voice playing.

"…_I'm desperate. My bastard husband was a drinker and a gambler, and he left us neck-high in debt before dying of heart failure. Then I met Charlie, and he is the answer to all our problems- a Gods given gift, or at least his money is. I'm not afraid of playing dirty if it means getting that money, and the sooner you learn this and give up, the easier it'll be for you once this is all over. Well? What do you say?"_

_ "Bring it on. We won't be backing down until you do." Video Bella replied._

_ "Well, I guess I won't feel bad about doing this then."_ Rose cut off at the part where I was shoved into the dishwasher. I looked at Charlie- his face was a concerning shade of maroon, and a vein was pulsing in his forehead.

"Pack your bags," he said in a strained voice.

"What?" Adele gasped. "No, wait, Charlie I can explain this."

"Which part?" He sneered. "The part where you only marry me for the money? The part where you threaten my daughter? Or how about the part where you assault and injure my daughter? I can't believe I didn't see you for the conniving, lying bitch you are from the beginning, but I'll do all I can to make up for it now. You're not spending another _second_ around my kids! Now _PACK YOUR BAGS!_" He roared. Adele stared at him for a moment, then gave this tiny squeak and scampered timidly away back towards the cabins. Lauren and Jessica quickly followed.

"I'm so sorry I didn't listen to you, kids." He muttered once we were alone. I noticed Alice, Rose, Jake, and Edward subtly sneaking away, giving us some Swan family time. "I'm an idiot. And a bad father."

"No kidding," Emmett snorted. I glared at him. Charlie took a deep breath and continued, "Kids, I understand that nothing I say can make up for how I've acted in the past. But I have to apologize for bailing out on you guys when Renee died. I was a mess, but that's no excuse. I'm sorry for not being there for you when you needed me. I'm sorry for not listening to you about Adele. I'm sorry I've left you three to mostly fend for yourselves. I understand if you don't forgive me, but I want you to know that I've always loved you."

"It's okay, dad. I understand. Just next time you get a girlfriend, check in with us first, 'kay?" I reached over, choking up a bit, and gave him a hug. "It's never too late to start being a good parent." Charlie then looked up at Jazz and Em, who were both glaring at him and sighed, shoulders slumped.

"Charlie, I get that you were upset when Mom died. We all were. But we didn't go and sink into this pit of depression because of it. You have no idea how many times I've wanted to punch you this summer alone, let alone all the years since Renee died. But if you can prove to me that you can be a good father, that you can be here for us, then I might just forgive you." Jasper said stiffly, before turning away. Emmett's speech was short and too the point.

"Glad you finally got that stick out of your ass, Charlie. But you mess up again and that gun of yours you've got in the basement might just turn against you." Emmett growled, before walking away.

"Guess I deserved that," Charlie muttered. "I was thinking that after I drop Adele, Lauren and Jessica off, we can cut our vacation short too. I've had enough of the woods for a lifetime." He walked over to his car while I went inside my cabin to find Edward waiting for me anxiously.

"So how'd it go?" He asked, standing up and taking me in his arms.

"About as well as can be expected, considering Emmett's grudge-holding skills, Jasper's moodiness, and Charlie's past idiocy," I murmured, leaning forward as Edward kissed me sweetly. "But the important thing is that we're finally a family again. That, and the fact that Charlie has decided to take pity on us and send us home early."

"Well, you can't argue that this trip hasn't been fairly interesting." Edward said with a smile. I thought of all the pranks we'd pulled, Edward earning my trust back, nearly dying, getting rid of the Skank Trio, and getting my father back. "No," I grinned as Edward planted another kiss on my mouth. "I guess I can't."

**Epilogue- 22 years later**

The sound of the front door opening alerted me to my daughter's arrival home. That and the loud stomps I heard going up the stairs and the sound of her bedroom door slamming shut. I quickly finished putting the pie I was working on in the oven, and cautiously knocked on her bedroom door. "Nessie?" I called out softly. "Can I come in?" Hearing no answer, I carefully turned the doorknob and walked in. Nessie was lying face down on her bed, her petite body shaking with sobs. "Oh Nessie," I sighed, "what happened?" Ness seemed to debate with herself whether or not she wanted to tell me anything, but when I pulled her in for a hug, she caved.

"It's about Alec," she whispered, rubbing her nose. Alec had been her boyfriend for a couple months now, and Ness was completely head over heels for him. "What about him?" I asked encouragingly.

"Well, this morning he told me he loved me. I don't think he meant to, he just blurted it out, and then got flustered because he wanted to say it on Valentine's Day next week and…" I cut her off. Like me, she tends to ramble sometimes.

"That's wonderful! But isn't that a good thing?" I questioned. Nessie shot me an annoyed look. "I'm getting to that part, Mom! So anyway, I was like on cloud nine all morning and in global I told Bree Tanner that Alec Voltaire loved me." I had never really liked Bree ever since she spat gum into Ness's hair in grade school. Vindictive bitch.

"And yeah, maybe I wanted to rub it in a bit. But then she laughed, and asked if I really though Alec loved me. I told her yeah, duh. And then she…she…," here Nessie paused to grab some Kleenex as the waterworks had started flowing freely again. "She said Alec was only with me in the first place because of a bet! I didn't believe her at first, but when I told Alec about it, expecting him to laugh it off, he got all still and weird." All semblance of control flew out the window as Nessie threw herself at me and sobbed into my shoulder. I held her, but couldn't help the way I stiffened. "That bastard," I growled, "No one gets away hurting my daughter like this without Mama Cullen coming to kick their ass. You just wait, Voltaire, by the end of this day your balls will be so deformed…"

"Mom, mom, stop." Nessie said soothingly as possible through her hiccups. "I'm not finished yet. Well, after I found out the truth, I had pretty much the same reaction. Basically, I dumped my cup of scalding double mocha espresso down his shirt, told him I was never going to speak to him again, stormed off and broke down in the bathroom." _Ha, I told Edward she takes after me more. _"But then he cornered me and told me I had to hear him out. He admitted that yes, he did start to date me because of a bet, but he'd called it off once he got to really know me and then he'd already fallen in love with me. Mom, he literally got down on his knees in the girl's bathroom and _begged_ me to believe and forgive him."

"I told him that I can't be with a prick who'd play with a girl's feelings because of a fucking _bet_ and that it didn't matter that he'd called it off. The fact that he did it at all was enough. Alec told me that I changed him, and that he'd never do it again." Nessie sniffled, as I listened patiently. "I told him his words meant nothing to me anymore, and to fuck off until I was ready. Mom, what am I gonna do? How do I know he's not lying again? Because that's really all he's done so far- lie. This is WAY too much for a girl to handle, I mean, I found out that he apparently loves me, but at the same time only went out with me because of a bet all in one day, and a part of me REALLY wants to just forgive and forget, but the other part of me wants revenge, and to break his heart like he broke mine, not that you would know how it feels like so I don't even know why I'm asking you, and now I just sound like a bitch, and…"

"Hey, Ness, calm down, deep breaths," I said evenly, as Nessie started to hyperventilate. "Believe it or not, I went through the same thing."

"Nuh-uh," Nessie scoffed. "You said yourself that Dad was the only guy for you."

"Yes, well, I went through a similar scenario with your dad. He wasn't always the charming gentleman, you know. He was actually a real douche once."

"Are we talking about the same person here?" Nessie asked incredulously. "My dad, the same guy who still takes you on dates once a week, gives you flowers at the most random times, holds doors open for old ladies, and throws a fit when you pay the dinner bill?"

"Yes, we're talking about the same person, Edward Anthony Masen Cullen, otherwise known as your dad." I rolled my eyes. "It's time you know how he was when I first met him." I said before proceeding to fill Nessie in on the messed up relationship Edward and I had in the beginning, leaving a few things out, of course. No need getting her to hate her Dad. Ness had never really known the whole story of how we first dated, and now she listened with wide eyes. On the upside, it distracted her from Alec.

"So you see, if someone is really sorry, and they show it, forgiveness can lead to something wonderful. Your dad is the most wonderful man I've ever had the fortune to meet, and I can honestly say giving him a second chance is the best choice I've ever made." I concluded. "And the revenge thing didn't really work in my case- it just made us both more miserable."

"Wow," Nessie breathed. "I had no idea Dad was such a jerk. How did you ever learn to trust him again?" I smiled wistfully, thinking of the wonderful dates he'd taken me on and the _interesting_ summer we'd had getting rid of the Skank Trio.

"It wasn't easy," I admitted, "But it all started with just one kiss…"

_**Fin**_

**A/N: Last chapter, so PLEASE, PLEASE review! I'd like to thank you all for taking the time to read my story, and a special thanks to all those who reviewed. I'm thinking of starting a new story soon also, it's gonna be my first story with mythical creatures and vampires in it. It'll be called Violet Lightning, so keep your eyes out for it! Any questions, please PM me. **


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